The Girls of Lily Hall
by CelticX
Summary: "You know it's always the quiet ones you'd never expect that turn out to be axe murderers," Sei laughed softly. Quiet, meek, talented Yumi Fukuzawa just moved into Lily Hall, Lillian's dorm for students that just don't seem to fit in anywhere else. At first, their newest resident doesn't seem to fit the dorm's typical mold, but you know what they say about assumptions…
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

_First Day at Lily Hall_

Fukuzawa Yumi very carefully and precisely put her last pair of white socks in the dresser drawer and slid it quietly shut before turning around to view her new room. It was a simple room as would normally be expected of a dorm for an old and prestigious Catholic girls' high school. The walls were whitewashed plaster, the floor a sturdy hardwood darkened with age. The room held only a single bed, desk and chair, dresser, and small wardrobe. A wooden crucifix was hung over the head of the bed, but that was the only thing that broke up the monotony of the blank white walls. She wondered if they'd allow her to add some color to them.

She counted herself lucky that a good amount of afternoon sunlight was slanting through her single window. As an artist, light was everything and since she had school in the mornings the only time she'd have for her painting would be in the afternoons. Walking over to the window past her easel – the very first item that she had set up before unpacking anything else – brown eyes glanced out onto the picturesque campus of Lillian Girls' Academy, her home for the next three years. She felt herself tremble, but pushed the feelings to the back of her mind and instead took note of the view outside her window.

A double row of mature gingko trees lined the red brick walk from the front door of her new dormitory before connecting to one of the main paths that led to the various buildings on the extensive campus. The grass appeared to have been manicured to within a millimeter of its life and she wondered what they did when the trees dropped their seeds in early autumn. She could just imagine the numerous tan and yellow-brown colored landmines that would be decorating the brick walkway…and the associated smell. While the gingko nuts were fairly pretty, having the smell of vomit permeating the area was _not_ conducive to keeping down breakfast. She wondered if anyone would mind if she swept the walk in the mornings.

Yumi smiled softly. She could just imagine the scene. A young girl with brown hair in pigtails tied up with ribbons and wearing Lillian's dark green uniform, head down as she lightly swept the gingko nuts off to the side and into grass that was still green but beginning to lose its vibrancy as fall winds gathered strength. Yellow, long-stemmed and fan-shaped leaves littered the ground, a few floating slowly and silently to earth to join their brothers and sisters in death; preparing the way for the next generation. Low, dark clouds covered the sky and muted the sun's morning light as a none-so-gentle breeze blew through pushing already fallen leaves before it, making it difficult for the lone sweeper to keep up.

Before she knew it, Yumi had moved her easel closer to the window and placed a fresh white canvas upon it. Her paints came out of the bottom drawer of her desk. She used the wooden seat of the chair as a table to hold everything she'd need. Within moments colors and shapes began appearing across the virgin canvas. Dark rust red for the brick, multiple shades of green for the grass slowly going into hibernation, leaves, and school uniform, various yellows for the fallen and falling leaves, browns and tans for the boles of the trees, the broom and, of course, the nuts themselves. Even before her brain considered the question she'd somehow already decided that the scene would best be represented through impressionism, so dots and short strokes of individual colors slowly resolved into trees, walkways, and a young girl with a broom working diligently on a cool and overcast autumn morning.

She was so caught up in her creation that the painter nearly jumped right out of her skin when someone knocked at her door.

Luckily the surprise didn't affect her artwork. As a result of a multitude of similar interruptions through the years, Yumi had long ago learned to protect her canvas from unanticipated and extraneous motions and drips. The knock came again, a little louder this time as she set her paints and brushes down. At least the person hadn't simply barged in like…

With a sigh of regret and a shiver of trepidation, she quickly wiped her hands on a solvent permeated cloth before moving to the door just as another series of knocks sounded.

"Y-yes?" Yumi asked quietly as she opened the door a crack to see who was on the other side.

The girl standing in the hall with a curious smile on her face was a couple of years older than Yumi, most likely a third-year student. She had shoulder-length black hair cut into a cute bob that nicely framed her face and kind-looking dark hazel eyes. In desperate contrast to the girl she'd just been painting, the older girl outside her door was wearing well-worn blue jeans, a dark green button-down shirt, and multi-colored name-brand sneakers.

"Fukuzawa Yumi?" the girl asked with that curious smile leaning a bit more toward a smirk.

"Y-yes," Yumi replied timidly, her voice not much louder than a mouse.

"My name is Mizuno Youko and I'm the senior Resident Assistant here at the Rose Mansion dorm. I wanted to make sure that you were settling in all right. Would it be too much of an imposition to come in?"

"N-no," Yumi squeaked softly, or at least she thought she did. She opened the door for her guest, her very first even if she was uninvited. She wasn't sure if her shaking hands were from nervousness, excitement, or fear.

The older girl moved smoothly into the small room with a gliding walk and perfect posture. Even in just a pair of worn jeans and simple shirt she had an air of aristocracy about her, a presence, as if as if she had every right to be there and not a concern in the world. Her confidence was extremely intimidating to the polar opposite Yumi.

"Well, I can see that you've already unpacked. That's good, and," her eyes swiveled toward the incomplete canvas, "you're an artist?" Slow steps took Youko to stand in front of Yumi's painting. The brown-eyed girl found herself wringing her hands with concern; desperately hoping that maybe she hadn't already violated some stricture of the dorm rules. "And one with quite a bit of talent I see," the dark haired girl nodded, her unexpected compliment bringing a rush of blood to Yumi's cheeks. "I can't wait to see the finished product. I don't know how, but even without having been here before you've quite nicely captured a scene that I've witnessed on more than one occasion over the past two years from my own window. It's lovely."

The heat of happiness that blossomed in Yumi's chest was nearly overwhelming. People had critiqued or corrected her efforts in the past, but rarely had anyone ever complimented her paintings.

"Th-thank you," she whispered as she ducked her head, her eyes trained on the floor between their feet, therefore she missed the brief look of confusion on the older girl's features.

"Have you had a chance to review the guidelines for living in the dorm, Yumi-chan?" the girl asked, only slowly turning away from her study of the still in-process painting.

Yumi quickly nodded her head and rushed to her desk, her slippered feet making barely a sound, to pull the small student handbook from the center drawer. She held it up between them like a shield, as if simply holding it provided proof that the small tome had been read and understood completely. The smile on Mizuno-sama's lips was like a breath of fresh air as she felt the older girl's acceptance.

"Well, so long as you realize that the guidelines are just that, guidelines. We here at Lily Hall don't always hold so strictly to them," those hazel eyes sparkled with suppressed laughter and, when she saw Yumi's confusion, went on to explain. "While the school calls this the Rose Mansion dorm, most of the students call it Lily Hall because, well," it was Youko's turn to blush, "there always seems to be at least one pair of dating girls living here at any given time."

Yumi's continued confusion must have been apparent.

"You must know, Yumi-chan, the lily has always been the symbol of lesbianism," the brown-eyed girl's features didn't change. "Girls that like girls? Instead of boys?"

The light bulb of understanding finally clicked on only to be quickly followed once again by confusion. _Who cares whether or not the person liking you is a boy or another girl?_ She thought to herself. _Just to have someone that likes you…anyone at all…it would be…wonderful! If I had someone like that…_

Yumi hadn't said a word, but her facial expressions must have given her away again, because Youko chuckled and simply said, "I think you'll do just fine here, Yumi-chan.

"I won't keep you any longer," the other girl went on, "I just wanted to welcome you to the dorm and make sure you had everything you needed…" she paused just long enough for Yumi to realize that it was a question so she nodded her head again to let the dark haired girl know that she had everything, "and to find out if you had any questions."

The pigtailed girl glanced around at the bare walls of her room, extremely tempted to ask if it would be okay if she painted a mural or something on them, but she just couldn't seem to get the words out of her throat, so she despondently shook her head in the negative.

"Well, that's fine as well. It's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon," Youko chuckled again. "I live just down the hall, the room at the top of the stairs, so if you do decide you have any questions, feel free to bring them to me and I'll try to answer them or get you an answer if it's beyond my authority." She turned to walk back to the door, so Yumi followed her politely. "Oh!" Youko suddenly turned back forcing Yumi to jump backward herself, "one other thing," she grinned, "I expect to see you downstairs at six for dinner. Although we all have modified cafeteria privileges, since there are only eight of us we usually eat dinner together in the kitchen. And you won't _believe_ Rei-chan's cooking," the older girl grinned and actually smacked her lips, almost causing Yumi to giggle even as the thought of eating with strangers sent a shiver down her spine, "she's better than most five-star chefs, so you'd better bring your appetite." Yumi just nodded again as she showed her guest out and quietly closed her door.

She slumped against the rough paneled wood trying to get her nerves back under control. She hadn't spent so much time with anyone in a long while, let alone a stranger. _At least Mizuno-sama seemed nice._

With a sigh, Yumi pulled herself back together and went back to her easel and her painting while she still had the light. Within moments all thoughts of the older girl had been pushed aside and replaced with only those necessary for her art.

-oo-

Youko stood outside the door to Yumi's room deep in thought.

"So, how's our little mouse doing?" a tall blonde asked as she walked up to lean on the wall beside her.

"I'm…not sure," the usually confident Youko replied off-handedly. "It's hard to really form an impression of someone when they don't say much more than 'yes.' Have you looked over her file yet, Sei?"

"Can't say as I've given it much more than a cursory glance," Satou Sei, the junior Resident Assistant and another of the three third-year students living in the small dorm replied with a quirk of an eyebrow.

"I hadn't either," Youko admitted. "I assumed she was just another first-year, but if that were the case, why was she placed here and not at one of the other first-year dorms? I know why Yoshino-chan and Shimako-chan were placed here, but Yumi-chan's case doesn't seem to fit the dorm's usual mold."

"What, you think we're all delinquents or gyarus here?" Sei laughed softly. "Or should I simply say 'oddballs'?"

"No, no," Youko waved a hand, having still not bothered to look up at her friend as she continued to ponder the question of one Fukuzawa Yumi. "Yoshino-chan's here because Rei-chan's here, that's obvious. Shimako-chan is here because of her status as a senior miko. You know as well as I do that most of us are here simply because we don't really fit in anywhere else for one reason or another. But how does quiet little Yumi-chan fit into that criteria?"

"Maybe she killed someone? You know it's always the quiet ones you'd never expect that turn out to be axe murderers," Sei laughed softly since they were still standing outside Yumi's room. "Just kidding," she held up her hands in surrender when Youko turned her head to glare at her, "but instead of trying to guess, why don't we head back to your room and take another look at her file?"

Youko was about to make some snide quip about the western-looking girl just trying to get her alone behind closed doors, but immediately thought better of it knowing that despite her humorous facade, Sei was still in pain from her recent loss. "Yes, that probably would be better than standing around outside her door talking about her," Youko agreed. The two young women quickly made their way down the narrow hallway to Youko's room right at the top of the steps. Sei's room was directly opposite and across the opening leading down to the foyer. While the dark haired girl bent over to pull Yumi's file from her desk drawer, the blonde Sei laid down on the double bed and put her hands behind her head.

"Comfortable?" Youko asked with an aggravated air.

"Very," Sei grinned back unrepentantly, her laughing grey eyes obviously enjoying the view.

With a roll of her eyes, Youko took a seat in her chair and opened up the file to start really going over it. "Interesting. There's no next of kin listed; only the name and phone number of a fairly prestigious Tokyo law firm."

"So, she's an orphan," Sei shrugged. "That might explain her placement with us."

"Maybe," she glanced at the small photograph clipped to the inside of the folder, "but it really doesn't seem to be such a big deal. There are other orphans in the school that weren't placed with us. Also, I somehow can't seem to get over the fact that I've seen her somewhere before."

"Oh? You spend a lot of time at orphanages?"

"Shut it, Sei," Youko said, exasperated at how her friend was never taking anything seriously these days. "You know I don't. If anyone was going to go cradle robbing it would be you or Eriko." Her only answer was a snort of laughter.

She flipped through a few more pages of Yumi's file without finding anything interesting which was, in itself, interesting. As she'd explained, there was something about each of the dorm's residents that made it difficult for them to live in the larger and much more populated dormitories. Whether it was an incestuous relationship like Rei and Yoshino, or Shimako's Buddhist and Shinto background while attending a Catholic school, Sei's flaunting her sexual orientation, or even Eriko's nymphomania, there was something quite "different" about each of them. But except for the lack of close kin, there was absolutely nothing to indicate why Yumi would have been placed in the Rose Mansion dorm.

"She is a quiet little thing, almost skittish from what little I saw of her when she was moving in," Sei commented from her reclined position, her tone finally turning serious. "Is it possible she was abused?"

"Hard to tell," Youko sighed. "She doesn't show any physical signs, but you know as well as I do that doesn't mean anything. Emotional scars are much deeper and slower to heal than physical scars." Sei nodded knowingly. Youko turned to look at her best friend to see a slight frown on the grey-eyed lesbian's lips. Certainly Sei had experience with emotional pain. "Just don't go trying to 'ease her pain,' Sei. She's far too young for you emotionally; although from the way she reacted when I mentioned it, she at least doesn't seem to have any problems with same-sex relationships."

"Well, that's something," Sei nodded in understanding. Given the makeup of the dorm this year, having an open mind about sexuality was probably going to be a necessity for maintaining one's sanity. "Hmm. What about the Ice Princess? Do you think there will be any issues there?"

"I think Sachiko's used to your antics by now, Sei," Youko replied in a disinterested tone, still looking through Yumi's file for anything out of the ordinary.

"Not what I was thinking," Sei huffed in annoyance. "I meant, did you think that there will be any problems between Sachiko-chan and Yumi-chan. Face it, Sachan can be pretty cold and intimidating whereas Yumi-chan seems to be the proverbial milquetoast. We'll need to make sure that those two don't clash, or that Sachan doesn't end up taking advantage of our little church mouse."

"Yes, you're right of course," Youko sighed and turned to look at her friend who had finally sat up on the bed. "Although I personally think Sachiko is a bit deeper and more caring than you like to give her credit for, I can see where there might be some issues. You know as well as I do that Sachiko doesn't take well to people she considers weak. I don't think she'd abuse Yumi, but neither do I think she'll take to her all that well," she sighed again, not looking forward to having to act as a referee or bodyguard. "Can I count on your help there?"

"Certainly," Sei agreed quickly. "Frankly, I prefer Yumi-chan's timidity to Sachan's peckish, holier-than-thou attitude."

Youko scowled. "You know that's as much a mask as anything for her feelings of inadequacy, Sei."

"Doesn't mean I like it," the blonde replied without a hint of remorse. "I admit, she certainly has her reasons for hiding behind a mask, but surely she could have found one that was a bit more fan-friendly?"

"Not that it's hurt her reputation in the least," the black haired girl smiled and shook her head. "I swear she had a larger group of fangirls following her around last year than you and Rei-chan combined."

"Maybe that's why I don't like her much," Sei smirked. "She's taking all the good girls away."

Youko didn't even bother to try to reply to that one. Everyone knew that last year Sei was completely taken; not that it did her much good in the end. Nor was there any need to open those old wounds with careless words.

"Yes, well, despite the way she sometimes acts in public, I happen to know that Sachiko not only likes you, but envies you, Sei. She'd give anything to be as free and open as you are." The pure disbelief on the grey-eyed girl's face was both hilarious and sad.

"No. No way! There's no way that Sachan could envy me," Sei shook her head in denial. "Bad as they are, she still has parents that care for her, and I think her mother's a blessed saint with everything she puts up with from her husband and father-in-law. I know Sayako-okaasama loves Sachan, even if the men of her family mainly see her only as a disposable pawn in some big game of business and politics."

"But it's exactly that sense of implacable fate that makes her wish that she could be as free as you are. All Sachiko sees are the chains that bind her to a future she detests."

"A bit poetic with the description, but accurate for all that," Sei agreed sadly. "I wish there was something we could do for her, but she needs to grow her own backbone, not have us stand her up in front of the firing squad of her father and grandfather without a blindfold and Kevlar vest."

"And she knows how weak she is, which is why she can't stand weakness in others. She sees too much of herself in them." Youko shook her head, putting Yumi's folder back in her drawer. Sei had a duplicate in her own bedroom and she knew that the blonde would be looking at it sometime after dinner if not before.

Speaking of which.

"I think I smell Rei's famous coconut chicken curry," Youko grinned.

"Race you?" Sei laughed.

-oo-

_Meat!_

_There's real meat in the food!_

Yumi couldn't decide if she should eat slowly to savor the taste or wolf it down before someone realized their error and took her plate away.

After hanging a clean dust cover over her painting she'd decided that eating in the small kitchen of the dorm with seven strangers was better than eating with hundreds of strangers in the school's cafeteria.

"So, Yumi-san, tell us a bit about yourself," the girl sitting next to her with her hair twined into two long brown braids asked. Actually, if she were to be forced to comment, the request had come out much more like a command than a question, but either way she didn't see any way around it. She'd be stuck with these people for the next ten months or so, so it was inevitable that she'd eventually have to give them a bit of her background, at least as much of it as she dared.

"Um, Y-Yoshino-san," she gulped, then took a small sip of water to try to calm her rapidly beating heart and try to remember what she'd been told to say in such a situation, "th-there's really n-not much to tell," she replied softly with a feigned shrug of indifference to try to cover her nervousness. "My guardians decided that they had to move to the U.S. for business purposes and since they were going to be gone for such a long time it was decided that I'd stay behind and go to school here." Her voice was so quiet that Yumi wondered if anyone beyond Yoshino-san even heard her. It was supposedly a common enough story here at Lillian for the parents of girls to leave them at school while they went off to do business elsewhere, or at least so she'd been told when they gave her that story to tell. Most of it was even true.

Since Yumi's eyes were still looking down at her food so that she didn't have to meet anyone else's eyes, she missed the significant glance and raised eyebrow Youko gave Sei. "Wh-what about you?"

Thankfully she was treated to what was essentially Yoshino's and Rei's life story, including the fact that they were not only cousins but, much to Rei's seemingly blushing embarrassment, partners. Yumi only had to nod every so often to keep the overly-thin, long-haired brunette talking which allowed her to keep her mouth closed unless she was opening up to slip in more of the heavenly, scrumptious meal.

"Really, have you no shame, Yoshino-san?" a beautiful black haired girl with eyes of the bluest sapphire asked into a brief pause near the end of Yoshino's monologue. "You don't see Rei announcing your relationship to the entire world," she went on with a significant look at the still blushing short-haired blonde that, according to what Youko had told Yumi, had cooked their fantastic meal.

"Rei-chan and I have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of," the younger girl had responded heatedly. "I love her and she loves me. What is there to be ashamed of in that? _I_ certainly feel both fortunate and honored that she cares so much for me." Yoshino turned obviously loving eyes to her cousin and Yumi thought she could actually see Rei melt beneath that heartfelt gaze. "Where most in our situation could only count on the normal love of a family member, Rei-chan and I are much more than simply cousins. We are also sisters and soulmates. How could I _not_ want everyone to know just how much I love her?"

"Even if society disapproves?" Sachiko's voice was strident. "It's not only lesbianism, but incest! You know I don't care, but how can you sit there and tell me that the opinions of nearly the entire world don't matter to you?"

"Because they don't," Yoshino shrugged, using her chopsticks to pick up a bit of rice and curry. "The only opinions that matter are Rei's, mine, our families', and those of our closest friends…the people we trust and care about. Everyone else is a stranger who could never understand what it means to have someone like Rei-chan love you."

Yumi wanted to speak up in support of Yoshino, almost feeling as if she _had_ to, even if it earned a glare from the beautiful blue eyes of the girl sitting across the table from her. How could she not understand just how important it was to have someone that really loved you? Especially family! Her need to express herself was so strong, but the need to avoid confrontation had been ingrained into her for far too long.

"Ex-excuse me," she stammered apologetically as she pushed herself away from the table. "It was a delicious dinner, Hasekura-sama. Thank you so very much for allowing me to share in it," she went on as she quickly took her plate and chopsticks to put them carefully in the sink. Yumi stood there a moment and tried to think of anything she might say to them to make them understand just how truly rare a love like that could be, her knuckles turning white from gripping the countertop so tightly, but there was nothing. Shaking her head she ran from the room before the tears she was leaking became glaringly obvious to her dorm mates.

_You just couldn't understand!_ she wept as she ran up the stairs to her room, slamming the door behind her before falling sobbing to her bed.

-oo-

"What was that all about?" Eriko Torii asked with wide eyes. "Did I miss something?"

"Since it didn't have an erect penis attached, you didn't miss anything, Eriko-sama," Sachiko sniffed in derision. "Just a child having a temper tantrum. At least she took her tableware to the sink before she ran out."

"And remembered to thank the cook," Yoshino piped up in defense of the girl she'd decided was going to be her newest friend. "At least she has proper manners and doesn't start arguments at the dinner table," she turned her eyes on the instigator of said argument. Even if Sachiko was Rei's best friend in the world, Youko could see the daggers in Yoshino's angry brown eyes.

"Sachiko," the older girl said softly into the ensuing silence, "you overstepped."

"Yes, Youko-oneesama," the raven-haired young woman responded contritely, dropping her head immediately. "I apologize."

"I'm not the one you need to be apologizing to," Youko said pointedly.

Haughty pride flared briefly within cerulean eyes before it was overcome by guilt. "I apologize, Yoshino-chan, Rei. It was not my intent to impugn your relationship. I…I believe that my envy temporarily usurped my better judgment."

While the three younger girls hugged or clasped hands, Youko sighed. If it wasn't one inferiority complex, it was another. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm an RA or a kindergarten teacher."

"That's an easy one," Sei smirked and leaned her elbows on the table. "Both."

One swipe of her hand had Sei nearly face down in her curry, Eriko and Shimako smiling, and both Yoshino and Rei laughing hysterically. Even Sachiko had a small smile on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own MGSM. That honor belongs to Oyuki Konno.

* * *

Chapter Two

_Second Day at Lily Hall_

Yumi sat in her desk chair staring out the bedroom window at a cool and crisp morning just prior to dawn. She had been awake long enough to watch the sky turn from inky black to a bruised purple, then the brief orange and white zodiacal light of false dawn before the sky began changing to the light blue of true dawn. Yumi couldn't count the number of such dawns she'd watched over the years, yet for the first time she was doing so not in the comfortable prison of her bedroom in her father's house, but in her own room to which she actually held a key. It was a heady experience, this newfound freedom, even if it was also quite frightening.

There were still a few days yet before classes started so she was at loose ends as to what to do. The sun was on the other side of the dorm so there was not enough of the proper light to continue her painting. Her room was clean and tidy, with everything put neatly away, so there was nothing there for her to do either. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she had taken a fairly small portion of the previous evening's delicious curry not knowing exactly how her body would react to the addition of real meat into her diet. _Oh, but the taste had been exquisite!_

She had thought about spending the morning rereading one of the textbooks her tutors had allowed her to bring with her, but the memory of dinner, along with the aching emptiness within her belly, convinced her to explore the previously uncharted realm of the dorm's small kitchen.

Taking a cue from the way that most of the girls had been dressed at dinner – most everyone had been wearing casual pants and shirts except for Sachiko who had been wearing a navy blue skirt and white silk blouse – she put on her only pair of jeans and a button-down white shirt along with socks and her white indoor slippers before heading down the steps to the dorm's main floor. There was a small landing in the middle of the steps where they ran up against the far wall before turning left to lead the rest of the way down. In the wall above the landing there was a stained glass window with three stylized flowers, roses she thought, with one of white, one of red, and one of yellow. Stopping briefly she ran a finger over a portion of the lead bead surrounding the red rose, simply enjoying the artisanship of the window before walking the rest of the way down the steps and heading through the foyer into the kitchen area.

She judged that the others must have cleaned up after the meal since the area looked so neat. The counters, what few of them there were, shone spotless in the morning sunlight coming through the two small windows. The oven and range, the refrigerator, the sink, the rice cooker, the toaster, all were just as clean and tidy. Opening a few cabinets found the canned goods, glasses, and plates also neatly stacked and ordered. In one corner of the counter, sitting just below and to the left of a window, stood a closed breadbox.

Yumi knew that she had absolutely no business trying to cook anything for herself let alone others. Every meal she'd ever eaten had been cooked by someone else and delivered to her in her bedroom. She'd never even seen a kitchen first-hand before this one. She was sure that if she even attempted to cook anything she'd end up with a horrendous mess and likely smoke or even a fire. But if she was lucky and the books she'd read had been accurate…

In the breadbox she found two almost complete loaves, one that appeared as if it had been precut for sandwich use and another uncut loaf. She also found a bag that seemed to contain the end pieces of several older loaves of bread. Out of this bag she pulled a single heel of bread before closing it up again with the twist tie. Seeing as there was nothing else to do in the kitchen, she returned to the entry hall and then moved across the hardwood floor and into the small living room.

Here she finally found something she could do.

-oo-

Hasekura Rei came downstairs about an hour and a half later to begin preparing breakfast for her friends.

She had, as usual, awoken within the confines of her smaller cousin's warm arms. Even though Yoshino had her own room it was essentially empty of anything except maybe a few outfits that wouldn't fit in the wardrobe in Rei's room. Only slightly diluted sunlight streamed in through the window in their room, painting vibrant colors on the walls, furniture, and the features of her dearest love from the small, round stained glass ornament she'd hung in the window.

Yoshino always looked like the sweetest of angels when she lay sleeping within Rei's arms. With the dark-haired girl's trademark twin-tail braids undone that long, wavy hair trailed down the outside of the blanket like a waterfall. Braided, her cousin's brown hair hung nearly to her slender waist. Unbraided, it hung well past the cheeks or her cute little rear end. Depending upon the time of year, that lustrous length of captivating strands ran the gamut from light to dark brown, lighter during the summer months when Yoshino spent much of her free time outdoors where the sunshine bleached it to a lighter shade. In winter months that same brown hair was so dark it was nearly black.

And Rei could spend hours playing with that same soft, silky, changeable hair.

But this morning, as most mornings, she had to get up early to prepare everyone's breakfast. At least the dorm's residents typically would also jump in to help clean the kitchen afterward so that Rei could help her cousin braid that lovely hair every morning. It was one of the many things she looked forward to each day. With a final stroking of that finery she carefully extricated herself from Yoshino's arms, successfully earning only a soft sigh and pouty lips for her efforts, quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and t-shirt, ran a brush through her own boyishly short blonde hair and headed down the steps.

Only to find the dorm's newest resident curled up on the floor in a corner by the front door.

A bucket and rag sat on the floor next to her. Worried that the young girl might have hurt herself, Rei quickly rushed down the remaining stairs only to find Yumi breathing softly and apparently in a deep sleep. With a rush of relief she glanced around and made another discovery. The dingy hardwood floor she'd been complaining about to the school for the past year was now so clean that it sparkled.

_Well I'll be…_

Beside her, she had just barely enough time to hear the turning of a key in the lock before the front door was thrown open and a very loud, extremely cheerful voice proclaimed, "I'm baaack!"

The reaction from the young girl sleeping in front of her was anything but what Rei had expected.

Little Yumi let out a screech of terror, immediately curled into the fetal position, and shoved herself so far into the corner and with her arms over her head that it appeared as if she were expecting the world to come physically crashing down on her.

"_I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry_," the brunette immediately started weeping in the softest and most heartrending voice Rei had ever heard.

"It's all right, Yumi-chan," Rei rushed to tell her while wondering if she dared to try to lay a gentle hand on the suddenly sobbing girl. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You've done nothing wrong, Yumi-chan. It's all right. It's all right."

"_I'm sorry. I'm sorry_," Yumi continued on as if she hadn't heard the older girl.

"What's with the milquetoast?" Eriko asked as she slammed the door behind her, the sound only further frightening the already terrorized first-year.

"I don't know," Rei nearly yelled at the elder girl as she once again reached out to the pigtailed urchin. If anything, her angry tone of voice when speaking to Eriko only added to Yumi's fright, causing her to move even further into the corner if such a thing were possible.

"Well, you better shut her up or you'll have the whole household coming down on you," Eriko shrugged.

"Don't you think I know that?" Rei said with exasperation.

"Just saying."

Taking a deep breath and murmuring a whispered prayer to Maria-sama, Rei reached out and pulled the distraught girl into her arms. Yumi immediately stiffened, but Rei just kept repeating that there was nothing to be sorry for and that Yumi hadn't done anything wrong; that everything was all right. What felt like hours later but was most likely only a few moments, Rei felt the younger girl begin to relax in her arms as her apologies turned into incoherent sobs. That's when she noticed something had fallen from the girl's hand.

_What the…?_

A squished and half-eaten piece of bread had dropped from Yumi's hand as it finally relaxed enough from the tight and rigid fist she'd held it in. Rei used a free hand to pick it up and then lifted the much smaller girl into her arms and carried her to the couch in the dorm's living room. She sat with Yumi in her lap and just cradled and rocked the crying girl, not knowing what else to do until Yumi calmed down a bit so that she might get some coherent words out of her.

"What's wrong with her?" asked a soft, concerned voice from the entrance to the living room. Rei looked over her shoulder to see their own brand of twin angels standing in the opening, their wholly contrasting features backlit by the stained glass window in the wall above the stairs.

Where Sachiko Ogasawara was the image of Japanese beauty, a perfect Yamato Nadeshiko, likewise she was as cold and hard as a Michelangelo sculpture and her personality, for the most part, reflected that same icy coolness. Shimako Todo, on the other hand, could almost be considered Sachiko's polar opposite. Where Sachiko was black haired, Shimako was blonde, where Sachiko was tall and slender, Shimako was of a more normal height and had more curves that definitely looked good on her. Most importantly, where Sachiko was cold, Shimako was as warm and bright as the most perfect of spring days. Where Sachiko was marble, Shimako was a cute, fuzzy kitten. Even their sleepwear was diametrically opposed. Sachiko was in a satin negligee with a silk robe while Shimako was wearing her footie flannel pajamas. How the two girls could be such good friends was sometimes beyond Rei's comprehension, which was saying quite a bit seeing as Rei was actually Sachiko's best friend and should know her better than anyone.

"I'm not quite sure, Shimako-san," Rei answered the younger of the two girls' question. Certainly Sachiko would have never bothered to be concerned over someone like Yumi, at least not publicly. "I found Yumi-chan sleeping soundly by the front door. It appears that she'd gotten up earlier and cleaned all of the hardwood floors down here," she indicated the cleanliness with a nod of her chin toward the sparkling floor. "Then Eriko-sama came home from her date and startled Yumi-chan awake. She screamed and, well, it's as you can see," the blonde haired Rei shrugged her shoulders as she continued to hold and rock Yumi in her lap, rubbing her back in small circles.

Yumi's sobs had run down to a combination of weeping and whimpering even as she seemed to cringe away from any sharp sound.

True to her nature, Shimako came around the sofa to squat down in front of the softly crying girl, laying a gentle hand on the brunette's jean-clad knee. "Yumi-chan, you're safe. No one's going to hurt you. I promise."

Simple words, but said with such purity and solid assurance that Rei felt the young girl on her lap relax just a little bit more.

Youko and Sei were the next arrivals to follow relatively quickly on Shimako's and Sachiko's heels. As soon as the dorm's quasi-overseer's showed up, Sachiko gave a bit of a small huff of annoyance, announced she was going back to bed, and gracefully made her way from the living room to the stairs.

"Eriko-sama scared her," Rei said before either of the older students could even ask the question. "She was sleeping on the floor by the door after having cleaned all the floors."

Sei gave the departing Eriko a surly glance while Youko just murmured "curiouser and curiouser."

"Sorry I'm such a 'milquetoast'," Yumi whispered in her soft, child-like voice; the first truly comprehensible words she'd spoken since she was so rudely awakened.

"Don't mind Eriko-sama," Rei told her. "She may be as smart as they come, but her personality sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. That said, she's really not such a bad person. She just has her little…foibles."

"You mean she's a slut," Sei growled as she came around the end of the sofa to take a seat next to Rei and Yumi.

"Nympho, not slut, Sei," Youko corrected her. "There's a difference."

"Yeah, yeah, so she's got a little piece of paper from her doctor with a diagnosis written on it; big deal. That doesn't change the fact that she'll chase anything with a dick."

"It goes to intent and ability to choose, Sei, and you know it, so give her some slack."

"It also doesn't change the fact that her attitude could use a bit of an adjustment," the blonde argued, cracking her knuckles loudly only to see Yumi cringe away from her.

"Eriko cares," Youko told her with a shake of her head, "she just doesn't show that side of herself very often. Yet whenever the chips are down, she's always there for us. You have to admit, it's been a great boon to have the eldest daughter of the school's headmistress on our side."

Sei just growled, unable to find a suitable comeback argument for that last point. It was true that Eriko and her mother had saved their asses on more than one occasion from situations that had been none of their own making, but that didn't always make up for the senior's less than stellar attitude. In her thoughts, Rei could only agree with the blonde, even though she personally liked Eriko.

"Face it," Youko continued, taking a seat on the other side of Rei, "we need her for our own safety. If that means putting up with her little 'foibles' as Rei-chan so nicely put it, then it's well worth it. We have enough enemies on this campus because of our own idiosyncrasies. I'll take any ally I can, and if she happens to be the headmistress' eldest daughter so much the better."

Rei ignored her sparring seniors and focused on answering the girl in her arms. "You're not a milquetoast, Yumi-chan. Anyone would be frightened if they were awakened from a sound sleep by loud voices and a door slamming right next to their ear." The image of a piece of bread falling from a limp hand reappeared in her mind's eye. "I know it's early, but have you eaten anything?"

"I, I had an end piece of bread," brown eyes looked up into her own with a mixture of fear and guilt. "Sh-should I not have taken it?"

The look of fear in those deep eyes nearly broke her heart, but Rei forced herself to relax and smile. "Take it from me, Yumi-chan. If man cannot live by bread alone, then it's freaking impossible for a growing teenager. You need to eat more than a piece of bread, especially if you're going to go around cleaning all the floors. Why don't you follow me and I'll see about getting something a bit more nourishing into you, hmm?"

While Sei and Youko continued to bicker, Rei stood up, easily lifting Yumi at the same time just long enough to set the petite girl on her feet, then took her by the hand and led her still sniffling to the kitchen, a concerned Shimako following quickly in their wake.

-oo-

As soon as Rei, Yumi, and Shimako were out of earshot Youko's and Sei's boisterous argument was cut off as if by a surgeon's scalpel. "Whoever abused that poor girl should be shot." Sei growled angrily, finally able to voice what was really making her so surly.

"I agree," Youko sighed. "Certainly it appears as if she's had more than her fair share of physical abuse, but it also appears there may be some psychological damage as well. You saw her eyes." Sei just nodded, happy to see how quickly Rei had jumped in to comfort the child, but furious that there had been a need for her to do so in the first place. She fisted her hands open and closed a few times to try to let off some of the tension.

"Let's let Mother Rei take care of her for now," Sei added after a moment's thought. "I don't think Yoshino-chan will worry about her cousin showing Yumi some concern and affection. You saw how quickly she came to Yumi-chan's defense at dinner last night."

"They'll both be good for her," Youko agreed. "It may be that between the two of them they can start chipping away at that shell of hers."

"Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it," Sei predicted as she turned her head toward the foyer to see a sleepy Yoshino coming slowly down the steps in a long nightgown. "Something tells me it's going to take something special to crack our little chick's egg."

Youko didn't argue. Sei had been right far too often with her predictions, especially when it came to abused young women. Instead she decided to change the subject somewhat.

"Looking at how clean the floors are now, and that she did it on her own without anyone's prompting, let's assign her some sort of chores. Maybe feeling useful will help her settle in easier."

"It's worth a shot," the blonde nodded her head slowly, "but nothing that she can't do. Feel free to push her to and even just beyond her limits, but don't set the goal so high she can't achieve it with her own strength."

"Agreed," Youko nodded at the sage advice. Having Yumi realize on her own that she's getting stronger would be much better in the long run than simply telling her. But first she had to be given some task that will make her feel good about herself when she accomplishes it.

_From the looks of the floor she's obviously a hard worker, or at least used to hard work. Rei could probably serve dinner on them they're so clean. I wonder if that level of cleanliness is her own definition or someone else's. No matter, it appears that it's hers now. But I don't need her working so hard she gets sick or hurts herself. Something she can do that pushes her…_

"Let me think about it a bit," she sighed, unable to come up with anything off the top of her head. She didn't want to go into something this important half-assed. "In the meantime, maybe Mother Rei has some ideas. She knows more about what needs to be done around here on a daily basis than anyone else."

"Too true," Sei chuckled. "She _is_ our little Suzy Homemaker, despite her being the school's 'Prince'."

"The butchest looking femme you'll ever meet," Youko agreed with a soft laugh of her own. "If only the girls knew their 'Prince' would much rather be dressed as Cinderella at the ball instead of Prince Charming."

"And sew the gown herself as well. Singing and dancing mice and birds need not apply," Sei crowed.

-oo-

In the kitchen, Yoshino covered her mouth with a slim, dainty hand, still blinking the sleep from her eyes as she pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and flopped into the seat next to Shimako, being sure she didn't sit on her still unbound hair. Yumi sat quietly in a chair across from them seeming to be thinking deep thoughts.

"So much noise this morning. What'd I miss?" she asked the others with another yawn.

"Nothing much," Rei replied with a shrug from in front of the stove, a skillet heating to soon be filled with, from what Yoshino could tell, pancake batter. A tub of margarine and a bottle of maple syrup already sat in the middle of the table. Yumi seemed to flinch at the nonchalant comment before going back to thinking.

"You okay, Yumi-chan?" Yoshino asked. The other girl's only response was another quick flinch followed by a short nod of her chin. No words. Not even a 'hmm' or 'okay.' The brown-haired girl had already opened her mouth before she thought better of pushing the issue. She wanted to protect this girl, not add to her problems, so she closed her mouth and turned to look up at her cousin and lover. Rei gave her the minutest shake of her head. _Leave it_. It was enough. Yoshino would leave it…for now, but she would be sure to get the whole story from Rei later. Instead she turned her attention to Shimako.

"I like your pajamas," she said, her smile teasing. "Are those the kind that have the flap in the back?"

"No," the blonde grinned back. "I couldn't find any of those. I'm not sure they're still making them, although it would certainly make life simpler when I have to get up in the middle of the night."

"Probably just end up with a wet crotch anyway," Yoshino laughed softly.

"You're probably right," Shimako giggled in turn. "At least this pair's a zipper front. I've got a couple of pairs that have buttons. They take longer to undo which can be a bit of an issue when I'm in a hurry."

"That's why I like gowns," Yoshino nodded her head sagely, fingering her own thin cotton shift, "just lift and squat, nothing else to worry about."

"Nothing?" Shimako's eyes widened in apparent surprise.

Yoshino smirked at her innocence. "Gotta air it out every once in a while. Less chance of yeast infections. Please don't tell me you're wearing panties in that hot thing," she waved her hand at the neck-to-feet pjs. "Your poor baby maker's gotta be suffocating!"

"My 'baby maker' is just fine, thank you very much," Shimako huffed with indignation, her cheeks boiling hot, but Yoshino could see the gears of her mind working behind those blue-grey eyes. She'd bet a thousand yen that there'd be nothing but air between Shimako's pajamas and her skin later that night.

"Yoshino-chan's just a natural-born exhibitionist," Rei chuckled as she flipped three perfectly golden pancakes one at a time from the pan to a plate. "She'd wear nothing at all if she thought she could get away with it."

"Stupid Rei-chan," Yoshino grumbled but didn't argue the point seeing how it was just the simple truth. "At least I wear something to sleep in, unlike a certain kendōka we all know and love."

"Only because you complain that you can't feel me while you sleep," Rei snorted.

"Feel you, or feel you up?" Shimako giggled, her words shockingly brazen for the usually demure miko.

"Both," Rei laughed.

"Can I help it if I like a bit of skinship?" Yoshino mock-pouted, not really upset at the ribbing she was receiving. If the worst thing she was called was an exhibitionist then she could live with that. She didn't put herself out there or flaunt her body, she simply preferred wearing fewer clothes when she was by herself or alone with Rei. It had more to do with a feeling of freedom than with any type of sexual innuendo or fetish. Rather than 'exhibitionist,' she thought 'naturist' was a better descriptive term for the way she felt.

Yumi's head popped up briefly at Rei's comment about her being an exhibitionist, a confused look on her face, but she immediately dropped her head again and went back to her silent pondering. _I wonder if Yumi-san knows what an exhibitionist is. Is it possible she was that sheltered growing up? Let's see._

"And I'm not an exhibitionist," she said out loud. "That term lends itself more to a desire to expose parts of my body in public that wouldn't normally be seen. More like a sexual fetish." _Would Yumi-san know what a fetish was?_ "I simply prefer wearing fewer clothes when in private. More like a naturist or nudist." _Now she looks more confused than ever. Maybe that was too many new terms? I guess she really was that sheltered!_

"Yumi-san, do you have any idea what we're talking about?" Shimako thankfully asked before Yoshino had to. The pigtailed girl blushed a bright red, but shook her head in the negative, more likely embarrassed that she didn't know than that she was embarrassed about the discussion itself. "The school library's reference section has books on human sexuality you could read. If you'd like I could show you later today." She turned to Yoshino then with an encouraging smile. "I'm sure Yoshino-san would like to go as well. We can make an outing of it."

"Sure! I'll go," Yoshino agreed brightly, catching on quickly. "I haven't been to the high school's library yet, so maybe you could show Yumi-san and myself around." She turned to look at the still silent girl sitting across from her. "How about it, Yumi-san? You up for a trip to the library?" She was met with wide, eager eyes and a frantic nodding of Yumi's head; pigtails bouncing.

"Th-thank y-you," the brunette answered in a tiny voice. "I-I'd like that."

"Then here, Yumi-chan," Rei grinned as she set a plate of pancakes in front of the quiet girl. "Eat up before they get cold. I suggest a bit of margarine and maple syrup, just don't drown them in either. Too much margarine will kill your arteries and too much syrup will both make you fat as well as increase your chance of diabetes. Everything in moderation."

"Y-yes, Rei-sama," Yumi replied with a shy smile. She was about to reach for the items in the middle of the table before she realized that neither Yoshino nor Shimako had a plate yet. She drew her hand back and set it in her lap.

"Go ahead and eat, Yumi-san," Yoshino piped up quickly. "We'll have ours in a jiffy and you really don't want those getting cold. They're so much better when they're hot." She could see the girl's brief struggle, but her desire not to disappoint the cook was too great. One bite of the sweet treat was enough to tell Yoshino that Yumi had never had pancakes before. The girl's brown eyes widened in surprise and she let out a soft moan of pleasure.

"Best response a cook could ever get," Rei chuckled. "I'm glad you like them, Yumi-chan." The girl blushed with embarrassment again at her uninhibited sounds, but one look at Rei's pleased face was enough to squash her concerns. Yoshino glanced over at Shimako to see the blonde girl's reaction only to directly meet those blue-grey eyes.

_Never had pancakes?_ Those eyes asked.

_Nope_. Yoshino replied with her own.

_That's outrageous!_

_Tell me about it. And you saw how confused she was earlier._

_That means few if any girlfriends. What fifteen year old hasn't heard about these things!_

_Likely no access to the internet either, or at least strictly curtailed. Talk about sheltered!_

_We've got our work cut out for us._

_Partners?_

_Partners!_

Both girls turned their eyes to the girl with the half-eaten plate of pancakes and gave forth identical sighs.

"Just hold your horses," Rei laughed softly, flipping another couple of pancakes onto a plate before taking them and setting them in front of Shimako. _Just be careful_, her own brown eyes told the two conspirators.

_We will,_ came their silent reply.

Yoshino chuckled to herself, surprised at just how quickly she and Shimako had been able to read each other without having to exchange a single word. Now, if only Yumi were as easy to read.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

_Still Second Day at Lilly Hall_

Lesbianism (used twice)  
Incest  
Nympho  
Slut  
Dick  
Exhibitionist  
Fetish  
Naturist  
Nudist

There were so many unfamiliar terms that she'd heard just since dinner the previous evening, all of them seeming to have one thing or another to do with sex, except maybe the last two if she was to believe Yoshino. And it all came so naturally to the others. The words seemed to simply roll of their tongues as if they weren't some lewd or forbidden language that she'd never been taught.

Of course she knew the mechanics of having sex – one of her tutors had explained it to her when she was twelve and had her first period. That same tutor had then reminded her on nearly a daily basis thereafter of how it was Yumi's sole job as a female to procreate, nothing more, but it now appeared that there was an entire world of things related to sex that had nothing to do with procreation. She wondered if her tutor knew about this.

Yet there was something even more exciting to her than the simple physics of sex.

_I'm going to a library! A real library! I wonder if they have any art books. Will they let me check out any books? Do I need, what was it called? A library card?_

She was so excited she had a hard time holding herself back from simply wolfing down her food to get breakfast over with. But that was before she took her first bite of what Rei called "pancakes." She'd nearly swooned at the burst of delicious flavors in her mouth. There was no way she was going to rush through this epicurean delight! It was so different from the rice porridge and toast she was used to eating in her room at the estate. She'd actually moaned with the unexpected pleasure. She was sure she'd embarrassed herself yet again until Rei's happy comment. Neither of the other girls' had chided her either for her slip, so she went back to enjoying her meal.

Soon enough Yoshino and Shimako had finished their own meals and gone upstairs to get changed. With her last bite, Yumi sat back for a moment to appreciate the flavor one last time as it slipped past her tongue and down her throat. None of the other girls had come into the kitchen yet, so Yumi quickly got up and took her plate and utensils to the sink to give them a thorough washing.

"Th-the meal was delicious, Rei-sama. Thank you so much for sharing it with me," she told the older girl quietly.

"It was a pleasure for me to see how much you enjoyed it, Yumi-chan," the blonde replied with a warm smile. "First time eating pancakes?"

"Y-yes," Yumi admitted shyly. "I've never had something so wonderful. I can only guess that it's on par with the ambrosia of the gods."

"Oh, no, Yumi-chan," Rei chuckled softly. "The recipe for ambrosia calls for whipped cream, although some people add cooked rice to the mix, fresh fruit cocktail, shredded coconut, and, if you want to get really wicked, just the smallest touch of rum or brandy."

Yumi had trouble keeping her mouth closed so that she didn't drool over the description of what was obviously a very rich desert.

"If you'd like, I can make some for you sometime," Rei grinned.

"I, I've never had a desert like that," Yumi stammered. "If I was a _very_ good girl, maybe I'd get something like vanilla ice cream or pound cake. I don't know if I'd even be able to eat something that rich."

"Small portions is the key," Rei agreed with a nod of her head. "As I said earlier, everything in moderation. I've never believed in these crash diets that so many girls go on to try to lose weight. If they simply ate reasonably and exercised regularly they wouldn't have to diet in the first place."

"I've never exercised much either," Yumi dared to sheepishly admit as she dried her now clean plate and set it on the counter, not immediately remembering where it was supposed to go. "All my meals and portions were strictly controlled by the estate's staff nutritionist. I was assured that everything was extremely healthy even if the taste sometimes left a bit to be desired." She turned only to find a cup of green tea held out to her by a smiling Rei.

"Nutritionists have their place, certainly," Rei nodded as she gently led Yumi to resuming her seat at the table before taking the same seat she'd used the night before. "They usually get called in when something's already gone wrong with the body – obesity, diabetes, ulcers, things like that. It's unusual to have every meal pre-determined by a nutritionist, but each family does things their own way." She shrugged her shoulders. "I've always been a believer that a healthy body equals a healthy mind and spirit. That means good food, in reasonable portions, and regular exercise. Plus," she winked at Yumi as if imparting some deep secret, making the girl giggle, "I love to bake sweets. Yoshino-chan was somewhat sickly when she was younger and I learned to bake to help put some weight on her. She's better these days so I don't have to worry about it so much, but I still make a pretty decent Yule Log Cake."

"I'd love to taste it," Yumi told the older girl. She had no idea why Rei was so much easier to talk to than the others. She just seemed to have this aura of warmth and trustworthiness, as if you could tell her anything and she wouldn't judge you. "In a reasonable portion, of course," she giggled. Another thought occurred to her.

"Rei-sama, are there any exercises you know that might help my wrists and fingers? They can become very tired and painful after a day of painting."

"You're an artist, hmm?" Rei asked, then sat back in thought. "Let me think about it, Yumi-chan. I can easily see how a painter could develop carpel tunnel syndrome if they're not careful."

"Who's got carpel tunnel?" Youko asked as she and Sei came into the kitchen. Rei immediately got up and went back to the stove to start making up some more pancakes.

"No one," Rei thankfully answered for her when she realized Yumi had gone quiet again. Youko and Sei intimidated her a lot more than Rei for some reason, and it wasn't just because they were third-years and therefore older. They weren't anywhere near as open and warm as the short-haired girl so it was much more difficult to speak to them. They also seemed to be a bit more likely to find out things that her "guardians" didn't want known, so it was easier just to stay quiet in their presence unless asked a direct question.

"Yumi-chan paints and was mentioning that her wrists and fingers sometimes get tired if she's at it too long. I'm going to see if I can come up with some exercises for her to strengthen her hands and wrists and increase her general stamina," Rei added. She thought a moment before adding, "and her legs as well. Standing that long can't be good for her leg muscles either."

Youko's eyes widened and a broad smile broke out on her face, surprising Yumi.

"That's right, you paint don't you Yumi-chan," she stated rather than asked which allowed Yumi the option of not responding. "I was just telling Sei here that the place has gotten a bit drab recently." Yumi sank back in her chair, "Oh, not the wall paint. That's fine. I was just thinking we could do with a bit of artwork on the walls, maybe even a mural or two. I liked what I saw of your painting yesterday, Yumi-chan, do you think you'd be interested in maybe doing some more that we could get framed and hang up? I'd love to do a bit more decorating around here."

Yumi could feel her eyes lighting up at the prospect of doing something to help out around the dorm; something that maybe only she could do. "I-if you think I could be of some help," she replied quietly, hating her voice for being so insipidly small, but unable to fight against it. She remembered her thoughts from yesterday in her room. "A-am I allowed to paint my own room as well?"

"Of course," Youko replied with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Everyone's allowed to decorate to their own tastes so long as it's nothing that would be offensive to others. I'm sure Yumi-chan's tastes wouldn't offend the Pope."

"So you'll do it, Yumi-chan?" Sei asked directly. "I'd really like to see some of Yumi-chan's work. It would definitely brighten up the atmosphere in this old house."

Yumi quickly nodded her agreement, excited for the second time that morning.

"I've got more than enough in the dorm budget to buy the supplies, so just figure out what you need and give me a list, all right?" Youko grinned happily and Yumi nodded again. She'd have to walk the place and get an idea of what would look good in each of the public rooms. Would they want paintings in the bedrooms as well? That would require getting to know each girl's individual tastes. Well, she could ask about that later.

"Right then," Sei grinned. "Now that that's settled, where's the grub, Rei-chan?"

"Coming right up, Sei-sama," Rei laughed as she slipped three more pancakes onto a clean plate.

Yumi was too caught up in looking around the kitchen to see what ideas she might come up with to see the look of approval the three older girls shared.

-oo-

Shimako did her best not to laugh at the brightness of nervous excitement in Yumi's eyes where she stood next to the front door almost literally bouncing on the balls of her feet in her brand new Lillian uniform. Yoshino wasn't quite as nice since the blonde heard a bit of a chuckle coming from the girl walking down the steps behind her.

"She looks like a puppy dancing at the front door waiting to be taken out for a walk," the twin-tailed girl whispered in Shimako's ear. It was such an apt description that Shimako found herself having to hide her stifled giggle behind her hand. But the more she looked and thought about it, the more apt it became. All levity left her as she realized just how _much_ that description matched the young pigtailed girl waiting impatiently at the door for them to put their outdoor shoes on.

"Yumi-san," she ventured as she tapped her toes against the floor to settle the shoes on her feet, "have you been to a library before?"

"No, never," came the soft yet excited reply, "I didn't get out much." The last phrase seemed to remind her of something and her exuberance level dropped a bit as she ducked her head.

"That can't, oof!" Yoshino's comment was cut off by Shimako's sharply jabbed elbow into her ribs.

"Then this will be a new experience for you, Yumi-san," the blonde said brightly as she gave her dark-haired friend a quick shake of her head. "I promise you'll love it. Shall we?" she nodded her head and Yumi quickly spun to open the door and dash outside.

"That really can't be true, can it?" Yoshino asked in an agitated whisper as she rubbed her side. "I mean, she had to have gone to a library to work on school projects in the past…right?"

Shimako pasted a smile on her face. It wasn't hard as she watched Yumi taking in the sights of the beautiful campus. "If she went to any kind of normal school then I'd agree with you, Yoshino-san," she murmured. Yumi's head was turning right and left, taking in the bare branches of some trees and the pink or green buds on others. A bird flew up from a nearby bush, startling the young girl and she squeaked briefly before laughing at her own fright. "But I somehow doubt she went to a normal school. Look at her. She's acting as if she's never walked through a school campus before. It's like it's all brand new and exciting to her."

"Take a left at the next intersection," Yoshino called out to the girl nearly skipping down the path in front of them.

Shimako gasped as Yumi's foot caught on a cobblestone, but she righted herself with a giggle before she fell, glancing back with a bright blush on her cheeks as she ran ahead to the next crossing path to wait for them.

"I can't believe that," Yoshino shook her head. "I just, well, I guess I _can_ believe it. I'm sure there are people out there that have been taught entirely by tutors, so I can believe something like that might have happened in Yumi-san's case…but I don't want to." She glanced over at Shimako. "Know what I mean?"

"Unfortunately I do," the blonde echoed her friend's sigh. "I spent the first few years of my education learning from my father at the temple. It wasn't until I expressed an interest in learning about different religions that he eventually allowed me to come here to Lillian at the beginning of our fifth year. So yes, I can imagine what it might have been like to be taught entirely within a closed enclave.

"But to not have even seen a school or a library before? Even I was able to go to one of the local schools and use their library for my studies. The temple certainly didn't keep all of the requisite books. I even had to borrow a copy of Dickens' _A Tale of Two Cities_ from them and had to go to the public library for some of the more esoteric books." As soon as she and Yoshino got to the intersection of the two paths, Yumi was off again, skipping down the cobblestones, her eyes taking in just about everything but the path in front of her.

"She's like a puppy seeing the outside world for the first time," Yoshino gaped as Yumi stepped off the path and into the grass to pick up a pinecone that had fallen to the ground the previous year. Even as her eyes widened at the intricacy of the seed carrier she darted a few feet further to squat down and look at a pine seedling growing at the base of another tree. "_Everything_ is new and wonderful. Do you think it's possible she was never allowed outdoors before?"

"I don't know," Shimako answered with a shake of her head and a frown. "I don't want to think that might be the case, but," she couldn't finish the comment. It was simply too horrible to contemplate.

"A babe in the woods," Yoshino whispered. "Only this time it might be literal. She has absolutely no defenses."

Shimako was reminded of the scene she'd walked into this morning; a weeping Yumi held tightly by a cooing Rei trying to calm her after she'd been somehow frightened by Eriko. She knew that Eriko, while she had a tendency to be a bit loud and wild, would never hurt a fly. So what had scared Yumi so much that it put her in that kind of state?

"I think _we're_ going to have to be her defenses for a while, Yoshino-san," the blonde said with a great deal of determination in her normally soft voice, "at least until she learns a bit more about life here at Lillian."

"I can just see the harpies starting to circle," Yoshino cringed. "You know what some of these girls can be like at times."

Shimako certainly did. She'd been bullied nearly all of her first year at the school simply because she came from a temple family. And she knew Yoshino hadn't been immune to it either when she was still sickly. Neither girl wanted to see Yumi having to go through the same things they'd been put through.

"You can count me in, partner. I don't want anything _more_ to hurt that girl," Yoshino growled.

As they came around a row of bushes it was to see Yumi with her head bowed and her hands in a prayerful attitude standing in front of the school's statue of Maria-sama, a beam of sunlight cascading down onto her head making it look as if she were wearing a halo.

"I wonder who the real angel is?" Shimako murmured to herself. At her side, a wide-eyed Yoshino nodded her agreement.

-oo-

Yumi's eyes opened wide in wonder. Everywhere she looked there were books. Thousands and tens of thousands of books. They lined each of the three, two-story walls she could see. The fourth was lost in the distance, but racks and racks of shelving led off into that darkness and to either side, each individual shelf filled with amazing books. They were of all sizes and colors, some hardbound in expensive leather, others covered by simple thin sheets of thick paper; each and every one holding some story, history, biography, or treatise, both fiction and non-fiction. She was over-awed at the sheer multitude of tomes and the information made available just for the asking.

The Fukuzawa estate had its own library that she was occasionally allowed to borrow books from for her schoolwork – although most of the time the books she needed were brought to her in her room by her tutors – but it couldn't have held even a tenth or twentieth of the books on display here.

"Close your mouth, Yumi-san. You'll catch flies," Yoshino giggled.

Yumi obeyed the admonition, but was still too entranced to take any umbrage or feel any embarrassment.

"I…I can read any of these?" she whispered, not believing for an instant that she would have such good fortune, but desperately wishing that the answer would be 'yes.'

"The school does restrict access to some books, and others are for use solely by teachers or outside scholars, those are all kept in a separate room, but for the most part, yes," Shimako answered her prayer. "Pretty much everything you see here is available to be checked out or read on the premises."

"Even storybooks? I've always wanted to read a child's storybook," Yumi turned pleading eyes on her two companions.

"Of course. The library contains a large fiction section that is broken down further into genres like romance, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and horror," the blonde replied with an odd smile, setting Yumi's heart to fluttering in her chest. "Since the academy also has a primary school section there are even children's stories."

"Snow White? Hansel and Gretel? Cinderella? Beauty and the Beast?"

"All the Disney favorites," Yoshino laughed.

Yumi didn't know who this Disney person might be, it sounded like it might be a foreign name, but if he or she enjoyed stories like those they couldn't be a bad person. She shook her head to steady herself. Maybe after she'd done what she came to do, then she could see about checking out a storybook. Education came first.

"Shimako-san, you mentioned a reference section?" she asked timidly.

"This way, Yumi-san," the smiling girl replied with a wave of her hand toward a section of shelving that was closer to a long desk on one side of the library. There were also individual tables and chairs set up relatively close to this section, likely for those that wished to study in the library where their reference material would be close at hand. It was a wonderful idea and Yumi vowed that she'd spend a good amount of time here. The possibility for hours and hours of enjoyment were unimaginable.

Yumi followed Shimako and Yoshino followed in their footsteps. Even as she was being led to a section further down an aisle, her eyes were captured by an image she'd seen once before.

"Monet's _The Japanese Bridge_," she gasped, her hand reaching out to gently caress the large book's shiny cover. "They do have art books!"

"You like Claude Monet, Yumi-san?" Yoshino's voice carried softly to her. Yumi could only gulp and nod her head in reply as her eyes turned away from the one book to take in what appeared to be shelf-after-shelf of books containing copies of the old masters. "I've always preferred the more modern Japanese artists like Aguri Uchida myself, but I can see where artists like Monet, Matisse, and Renoir have their place."

"Uchida-sensei's work is beautiful, I agree, Yoshino-san," Yumi replied without taking her eyes from the various spines in front of her eyes, "but even she was influenced by some of the old masters like Matisse and even Picasso. You can especially see it in her late seventies and early eighties works depicting the female form, like _Secret, Bird's-Eye View-I,_ or _Lying Lady_."

"I…I stand corrected," Yoshino muttered. "You must really like your art, Yumi-san."

This time Yumi did blush. "I'm sorry to be going on like this, Yoshino-san," she bowed quickly to her friend. "I didn't mean to sound like I was lecturing. I deeply apologize if I gave any offense."

"Believe me," Yoshino laughed and waved off Yumi's apology, "none taken. I guess I'm just surprised."

"If I could wish any wish, dream any dream, it would be to become an artist," Yumi sighed wistfully. "Unfortunately this world demands otherwise of me."

"How so?" Shimako asked from her other side, but Yumi simply shook her head, unable to believe that she'd voiced her most intimate desires without a single thought as to who might be listening.

"Human Sexuality?" she asked, instead of answering Shimako's question.

"This way, Yumi-san," the blonde girl turned, nice enough to realize Yumi didn't wish to speak any more on the subject, "but if you'd like, we can stop back by here on our way out and you can check out one or more of those art books."

"I can?" Yumi squeaked her joy.

"Those books in that section may all be checked out by students. All you have to do is let them take down the information from your student ID card. There are others in a different area that can only be looked at here because of their age or value, but for the most part you'll find that there are multiple copies of each book so that one or more may be checked out without making a copy unavailable for someone else to use."

"Amazing," Yumi murmured softly as she followed Shimako deeper into the stacks.

Twenty minutes later Yumi had read the definitions of each of the words she'd wondered about. Those, of course, had led her to others, which had led her to even more words she didn't understand. It was all so frustrating!

"You look confused, Yumi-chan," Shimako giggled.

"Maybe I'm stupid, Shimako-san," the brown-eyed girl replied with a slow shake of her head, "but I don't understand. How can anything like homosexuality or lesbianism result in a new life being born? Two men or two women don't have the organs necessary to procreate."

Shimako's giggle died abruptly enough so that Yumi turned to her.

"Yumi-chan," those blue-grey eyes told her, "not all sex is about procreation. Some intimate relations are simply to allow partners to show their love for each other."

"Love?" Yumi tilted her head to one side and gave them a blank look. "What does love have to do with sexual intercourse?"

It was Shimako's and Yoshino's turn to look confused.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_Second Evening at Lily Hall_

After their visit to the library and after Yumi had checked out two different books, one on human sexuality and the other on the Old Masters, Shimako and Yoshino showed Yumi around the campus, eventually deciding to have lunch at the school's cafeteria. The girls explained that while much of the money paid toward students' room and board went to feeding those same students, approximately three-fourths of the board money for the occupants of the Rose Mansion went toward the food and cooking supplies that Rei used to make their meals. They still had limited cafeteria privileges, but only for Monday through Friday lunches. Rei cooked their meals the rest of the time, including weekend lunches.

"We eat much better than the rest of the student population," Yoshino stated proudly. "Rei-chan is not only a fantastic cook, but she's a great shopper as well. We typically eat better cuts of meat, more often, than the rest of the school. Youko-sama says it's because the head of the cafeteria is skimming funds from the budget or getting kickbacks from suppliers that she uses for her personal use, but no one's been able to catch her at it."

Shimako allowed Yoshino to dominate the conversation with her proud declarations for her cousin's culinary skills. Instead, the girl that has often been called the Angel of Lillian ruminated on Yumi's startling statement.

"_What does love have to do with sexual intercourse?"_

That simple, though obviously childish and naïve statement, frightened her, and not just because her newest friend didn't see the connection between the act and the emotions behind it.

_Can she truly believe that sex is solely for procreation and evolution of the species? Who would teach her such a thing? Have they…_

She shook her head, not wanting to even consider the possibility of innocent little Yumi being used in such a heinous manner.

_Maybe it's more like Sachiko-sama's situation, where she's expected to marry and produce an heir to keep the Ogasawara empire within the hands of the family. That kind of attitude is morally repugnant as well, but what if Yumi-chan wasn't even given that much of a reason, no matter how illogical? What if…Surely not…_

Again she couldn't finish her thought as a shiver of fear and loathing scratched its sharp nails down her spine. As much as she wanted to help Yumi, there were some things she knew she wasn't equipped to handle. Neither was Yoshino she was sure. Most fifteen year old girls just didn't have the necessary experience to handle such things.

_We have enough on our plates with schoolwork, home life and, if we're very lucky, a boyfriend or girlfriend. Sexual slavery isn't high on our priority list of daily concerns. I thought the days of Comfort Women were over!_

"Onee-sama," she murmured aloud.

"Hmm?" Yumi queried.

"I was just thinking that I probably need to speak with Sei-oneesama about…the history of Comfort Women. I heard it was going to be a topic in our Civics class this year," she prevaricated with a sharp look to her braided friend. Yoshino nodded, but Yumi just looked confused again, then sighed.

"Another new term to look up?"

-oo-

"So you're calling her Yumi-chan now?" Sei smirked later that afternoon.

As soon as they'd gotten back to the dorm, Yumi had excused herself to go back to her room and her painting while she had the afternoon light. This left Shimako and Yoshino free to seek out their seniors to discuss their latest impressions of the dorm's newest tenant. They were all sitting in Youko's room – everyone but Eriko that is, she was out roaming somewhere in the area of Hanadera Boys' Academy campus – and had just finished up their individual impressions of the new girl when Sei made her out-of-the-box comment.

"Even though she's the same age as we are, or maybe even a bit older, the way she looks at the world is simply so naïve and innocent, like a puppy on its first outing as Yoshino-san put it earlier. It just fits her." Maybe Sei's comment wasn't so out-of-the-box as she'd originally thought.

"Well, from what we witnessed this morning, I'm afraid sexual abuse isn't out of the realm of possibilities. But from her comment regarding sex and love, I doubt she'd have seen intercourse, even forced, as abuse." At the gasps of shock round the room, she held up her hand. "I'm not saying it's true or not, only that it's a possibility. Frankly, I don't think it's the case, but I'd have to observe her a bit more to be sure. You may be right, Shimako-chan, in that she's simply been extremely sheltered her entire life and force-fed a line regarding a woman's place in the world. In the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant, and all that pre-enlightenment rubbish."

"I knew I'd missed something this morning! Dammit!" Yoshino pouted.

"The only thing you missed was Eriko coming in from a date and slamming the door right next to Yumi-chan's sleeping head after the poor girl had spent most of the wee hours of the morning cleaning and polishing the entire first floor. She just made the bad decision to fall asleep right next to the front door," Rei explained.

"She was certainly cringing like she was waiting for a beating," Shimako added to the story. "I saw her when Sachiko-sama and I were coming down the stairs to investigate."

"Speaking of our esteemed Ice Princess, where is Sachiko-sama?" Yoshino asked, her attitude belligerent and unforgiving.

"A driver came by to pick her up and take her out to the family estate for some business party or other her father and grandfather were throwing," Youko replied off-handedly.

"Talk about sexual slavery," Yoshino harrumphed, crossing her arms and leaning back against the wall where she was sitting on Youko's bed. "Forced to marry and have a child just to maintain some stupid dynasty? There are days when I really feel for our Princess."

"Tell _her_ that, not us," Youko sighed in exasperation. "Half of her problem is that she doesn't think anyone understands the position her father and grandfather have placed her in."

"Yumi-chan might," Shimako said slowly.

"What makes you think that, Shimako-chan?" the older girl asked. "Sachiko-chan's been sheltered, it's true, and been fed the male line of rhetoric her whole life along with duty to family, been tutored out the wazoo, and…oh, I see your point. Still, we're only guessing as to Yumi-chan's background."

"No, we're simply setting forth potential scientific hypotheses based on both known and unknown factors," Yoshino piped up with a wicked, know-it-all grin.

"I blame you for talking her into that damned science course last year, Sei," Youko chided her friend.

"Can I help it if she exceeded expectations in a course I was sure she'd flunk!" the blonde exclaimed.

"Where's Eriko-sama when you need her," Rei groaned.

"Still," Youko sighed, "we're basing our conjecture on assumptions. Let's not go making things worse."

"I don't know, Youko," Sei replied cautiously. "I mean, what could it really hurt to put those two together and see what happens. An experiment of sorts."

"Experiments have been known to blow up in your face like the one that scorched Yoshino-chan's eyebrows off last year."

"Hey, it wasn't that bad," the younger girl yelled. "And they grew back! See!"

"It's worth the risk, I think," Sei shrugged. "Two birds with one stone and all that."

"Yoshino-san and I'll continue to watch over her, Youko-sama," Shimako added. "Only a day and she's become a precious friend."

"Or puppy, OW!" Yoshino giggled, then Rei slapped her up the backside of her head.

"I always thought Sachiko's room could do with a bit of color," Sei grinned. "Maybe a painting or two?"

"It appears I'm outnumbered," Youko sighed again, but at least to Shimako she didn't seem all that worried. "All right, we'll try it. Sei, you tell Yumi-chan to start thinking about a painting for Sachiko-chan's room, maybe she could even get Sachiko to sit for a portrait although that might be asking for too much." She turned to Yoshino and Shimako, "You two keep an eye on her and make sure she feels both wanted and needed here. She desperately needs some friends and you two are elected."

"Us three," Rei raised her hand. "I'll gladly join the friends group."

"Yes and no," Sei smirked. "You also get to teach her how to cook. It'll help give her a sense of independence."

Rei grinned. "That I can do."

"What about you, Sei?" Youko asked with an almost worried look on her face.

"You just leave that to little old me," Sei grinned.

If Shimako hadn't known better, she would have sworn that a brand new worry line was born on Youko's brow that day.

-oo-

Sachiko wasn't able to return to her dorm until much later that evening. She absolutely hated having to attend the parties her family threw, but after spending an afternoon and evening attempting to fend off the overzealous and questing hands of her father's compatriots and then having to be driven all the way back to the dorm before she could find her bed was even worse. Therefore she was nearly beside herself with anger when she opened her bedroom door to find that the mess she'd made of the room before she left had been cleaned up and everything neatly folded and put away.

She didn't even step one foot beyond the threshold before she turned and stormed down to Youko's room and began pounding on the door.

"This better be a life-threatening emergency or you better be ready to run for you own life," Youko groused as she opened the door to the irate Sachiko.

"Onee-sama! Someone…my room…desecrated…invaded…privacy…"

"Oh, damn. I told her cleaning up was a mistake, but she insisted. Said that she couldn't get a clear picture of the room the way it was and then, when she started she just couldn't do it half-assed," Youko sighed, rubbing a hand through her shoulder-length black hair.

"What are you talking about, Onee-sama!?" Sachiko wanted to scream but her throat closed up on her with anger and only allowed a tiny bit of her voice to come out.

"Yumi-chan of course," Youko sighed, taking a still angry but now mostly confused heiress by the elbow and walking her back to her room. "She's a painter, a very good one if what I've seen is any indication of her talent, and we've asked her to paint some pictures and portraits for the dorm to help her get acclimated to school life and feel useful. She was probably more sheltered than _you_ were growing up, Sachiko," the older girl explained calmly while trying to cover a yawn. Sachiko found herself sitting quietly on her own bed while Youko took the desk chair.

"Sei and I wanted your room and the living room to be the first ones to receive her paintings. The living room wasn't a problem. Yumi-chan had cleaned that herself this morning. But once I got her to even walk past the door we realized your room was a mess and Yumi-chan said she needed to get a feel for both the room and its occupant before she could decide on what to paint. I happened to agree with her and the next thing I knew she was putting away all the clean things you'd left strewn around everywhere. She even figured out where you kept everything and put it away properly for you. I swear, Sachiko-chan," Youko grinned and shook her head in gentle surprise, "you should have seen how happy she was simply folding your clothes. The poor girl desperately needs to feel wanted and needed."

Every bit of anger she'd been feeling was stripped away at Youko's words and all she was left with was her exhaustion, both emotional and physical. Still, she knew the girl she'd chosen to call Onee-sama too well to take what she was saying at face value. "You're meddling again," Sachiko admonished her with a shaking finger.

"Guilty as charged," Youko agreed wholeheartedly while covering her mouth again to stifle another yawn at the same time. The admission shocked Sachiko. "Like I said, Yumi-chan seems to have had it even worse than you did growing up if that's even possible. We're not sure, don't have all the facts of course, but just from the way she acts sometimes and the things she says…"

"She actually speaks?" Sachiko interrupted her senior in shock. "I don't think I've ever heard her voice except at yesterday's dinner."

"Well, she's only been here for two days, but yes, she speaks, just very softly and very infrequently. You almost have to get her thinking about something else to get her to really open up."

"Be seen, not heard," Sachiko nodded. "I'm quite familiar with that sort of mindset. It's extremely hard to break that kind of training."

"Tell me about it," Youko grinned at her and she knew her onee-sama was talking about Sachiko herself. Getting her to open up and be honest about what it was that she really wanted was one of the very first things Youko had tried to teach her. Still there was one thing bothering her.

"Why are you telling me all this, Onee-sama?" she asked quietly. "You normally do all your meddling from the shadows and keep your plans to yourself. What's different this time?"

Youko looked at her and Sachiko thought that she saw a weary sadness in her senior's eyes. "I don't know, Sachiko," she admitted. "I just think it's going to take all of us, our entire wacky, crazy, unorthodox family, to save this girl."

"Save her?" It was something Sachiko wouldn't have expected her onee-sama to say. Sure, the cute girl in pigtails she'd met at the dinner table the previous evening had been silent as a church mouse and as weak as a newborn kitten, but did she really need saving?

"Don't ask me. It's nearly midnight and I'm tired," Youko complained rubbing a hand over her face. "You woke me from a sound sleep, so I'm just talking off the top of my head. Take it for what it's worth."

"Children, drunks…and sleepy people," Sachiko chuckled, "have a greater tendency to tell the truth."

"If you say so," Youko waved a hand and stood up, wobbling a little bit before she got her feet under her. "I'm going back to bed. I suggest you do the same, Sachiko."

"Yes, Onee-sama," the blue-eyed girl giggled softly. "I'll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams."

"You too," came the soft reply before Youko closed the door behind her.

Sachiko sat on her bed, contemplating the odd discussion she'd just had. There were few if any facts that she could lay her hands on. Her onee-sama and the other dorm residents were worried about Yumi. They also thought that getting Yumi and her together might help somehow. The cute first-year was a painter, a fairly decent one at that, and she had a cleanliness fetish.

"Or had been taught to always keep everything neat and clean," Sachiko murmured to herself.

Yumi was also very quiet and meek. That was also a fact and another potential sign of harsh training. There was also one last fact that she wasn't sure the others were taking into account.

"Her surname is Fukuzawa." Sachiko shivered and prayed that she was wrong.

-oo-

"Is she in?" Sei asked as Youko slipped back beneath the sheets. The two girls didn't sleep with each other very often, and when they did they usually didn't do much more than cuddle and sleep. It was still more friendship and mutual comfort than anything else at this point. Youko moved closer and laid her head on Sei's chest, putting one arm over her waist.

"She's in," the black-haired girl replied with almost no evidence of the sleepiness she'd displayed to Sachiko. "Didn't take much to convince her either. I keep telling you that Sachiko-chan has a much larger heart than everyone thinks she does. She really does care about everyone here."

"Oh, I don't doubt you," Sei chuckled. "I've seen her do things to help others out when she didn't think anyone was watching. She's a female Robin Hood with a touch of Mother Teresa and Joan of Arc thrown in for good measure. I just think she needs to be a bit more public with her charity so that others don't always see her as The Ice Princess."

"But she's so good at it," Youko giggled, her breath blowing in pulsing ripples across the thin cotton of Sei's t-shirt, with the expected results. Another breath, this one a bit harder and much more deliberate, followed.

"Tease," Sei smirked, but only hugged her companion a bit tighter.

"Maybe," Youko's hazel eyes sparkled with a touch of mischief.

"Sleep," Sei ordered her friend, closing her grey eyes and preparing to do likewise. "The game's afoot, and you need your rest to be on your game."

"If only it _were_ a game," Youko sighed as she too closed her eyes.

-oo-

Now Sachiko couldn't sleep.

Even as tired as she was, her discussion with Youko plagued her and kept her tossing and turning long after she'd turned out her light and slipped between her warm sheets.

Her bedroom was much like the others in the old dorm; four walls, a window, dresser, armoire, bed, and nightstand with a lamp. But of course the heir to the Ogasawara Zaibatsu wasn't allowed to have just any old kind of furniture. Hers was Queen Anne style including a four-poster bed with canopy. The dresser, nightstand, and armoire looked like pieces a high class hotelier would drool over. Her desk was a drop-lid with cubby holes to hold her various projects. It also held her laptop.

At her father's insistence, the entire dorm had been wired for internet access and Wi-Fi before she moved in so that she could do her work and access the internet anywhere she happened to want to sit, whether it be her room, the kitchen, or the living room. The wireless access point was powerful enough that she could even sit beneath a tree more than a hundred meters from the Rose Mansion dorm and still have five-bar two-way communication. A wireless adapter sat directly on the top of her desk.

None of this would normally have meant a thing to Sachiko who was used to having such luxuries available to her at any given time. This time, however, the call of her laptop and internet access finally pulled her from her bed. She'd thought there had been something vaguely familiar about Yumi when she was introduced the previous evening, but she figured she had simply imagined it. After all, brown-eyed, brown-haired girls were literally a dime a dozen, even brown-eyed, brown-haired girls with the last name of Fukuzawa, but after her talk with Youko before bedtime that name had for some reason popped back up into her consciousness.

"_My guardians decided that they had to move to the U.S. for business purposes and since they were going to be gone for such a long time it was decided that I'd stay behind and go to school here."_

That's what Yumi had said last night. Not her family, but her guardians. That too had thrown Sachiko off – possibly on purpose?

The laptop booted up quickly since Sachiko detested having unnecessary programs as part of the startup routine. A double click on her mouse and she had Internet Explorer and the Yahoo! homepage on her screen. A few more keystrokes and she had the latest business news regarding Fukuzawa Industries, probably the greatest competitor her family's companies had. The article was one she'd read before and detailed the expansion of the Fukuzawa empire into the United States. Their plan was to open factories in three different states, warehouses in seven more, and sales outlets everywhere else. They'd left just last month to personally oversee what was likely to be their greatest and most profitable expansion yet; one that would arguably put them on par with the Ogasawaras. Even her father and grandfather were worried about the audacity of this bold move.

One more double click and she was looking at a photo of a smiling and waving Fukuzawa Yuichiro, his wife Miki, and their sole child and heir, Yuuki.

"Damn," Sachiko cursed, her hand unconsciously forming a tight fist. "That poor, poor child. What _have_ they done to you?"

A few more clicks on some paparazzi websites and she had a high definition photo of fifteen year old Yuuki from when his father threw him an enormous birthday party at the Tokyo Grand. The innocent smile on his face was all too familiar. Sachiko right clicked on the photo and emailed it to Youko's phone along with a brief message.

[Onee-sama, saving Yumi-san may be more difficult than you anticipated.]

At two o'clock in the morning, Sachiko got up from her chair and pulled a silk robe over her nightgown before heading downstairs to the kitchen to start brewing up a pot of tea. Even before the water started to boil, Sachiko heard the patter of slippered footsteps coming down the steps.

They had a long night ahead of them.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

_Third Day at Lily Hall_

Eriko walked slowly and carefully down the old and squeaky stairs, almost as if measuring each footstep. It was the first time she'd ever had to walk in such a manner without being drunk. Yet her mind was in such a state of confusion that she may as well have imbibed a fifth of Jack Daniels and chased it down with a six-pack of beer. Careful so as not to slip on the newly cleaned floor she made her way across the foyer and into the living room, stopping at the threshold to survey the scene.

Shimako sat in a chair on the far side of the room next to a window reading a book that, from her perspective, was likely the King James Bible. Not that Shimako was all that interested in converting to the Church of England, it was much more likely that she was simply looking for differences between that version of the Holy Book and any of the other "authorized" versions used around the world by various Christian sects. In the chair next to the other window in the room, Rei sat with Yoshino on her lap, running her fingers slowly through the younger girl's long brown locks while twisting them into Yoshino's famous twin braids. Both girls wore equally relaxed and serene faces.

The love seat set between the two windows held Sachiko's lovely form. The raven-haired girl had pulled her feet up so that she was sitting on one leg. Azure eyes were flicking across the screen of the computer sitting in her lap, her fingers tapping away, most likely working on her analysis of one or another company's monthly financial report.

Surprisingly, Youko was lying across the sofa with her head cradled in Sei's lap, the blonde's fingers playing with her soft black hair. Still, even that scene of domesticity wasn't anywhere near as confusing as the results of the last three hours she'd just spent in the room that had nominally been assigned to Yoshino before she'd essentially moved in with her cousin.

According to Youko, as soon as Yumi had found out that the room was vacant and available for use _and_ received a good amount of morning light, she'd immediately moved her easel and painting gear into what she ended up calling her 'morning studio.'

Sei was the first to notice Eriko standing there in the doorway with what she was sure was a befuddled look on her face.

"And?" the blonde asked with a knowing smirk.

Eriko sighed dramatically, her shoulders drooping in utter defeat. "And…I'm in, I guess."

Three hours ago she'd been dared to spend a single hour with Yumi and _not_ end up feeling as if she wanted to do everything in her power to help the poor girl. It hadn't taken even that long, but she'd found herself not wanting to leave even if she could. She shook her head to try to clear out the cobwebs so that she could have another intelligent discussion regarding "the Fukuzawa Situation" as Sachiko had named it.

"That girl is…amazing," she breathed out. "I mean, in some areas of study, like art and music, she's already at what I'd consider a college level. We spent the first hour talking about our favorite artists and comparing techniques and styles. Not once did she question my beliefs or perceptions. In fact she went so far as to explain that art was so subjective, so unique an experience for each individual, that all perspectives are equally valid, no matter how insane or inane. And I couldn't argue with her!"

She walked over to the sofa, lifted Youko's feet and took a seat, settling the reclining girl's feet back into her lap before she continued, noticing that every pair of eyes were now focused on her. "It was the same for the next half-hour's discussion of music. Hell! She knows more about music than I do! Did you know she plays the piano, the violin, and even the shamisen?" No answers were forthcoming although she didn't really expect any. "No, of course you didn't. It took me fifteen minutes or more just to get her to start talking to me. And to get her to do that she actually had to start painting my portrait!" She turned to look down at Youko. "By the way, I need a new frame and hanger so I can put it up in my room."

"She finished your portrait already?" Shimako asked incredulously.

Eriko smiled, glancing up at the soft-spoken blonde. "She did it in a style she said was something like Uchida Aguri-sensei's so that it didn't need to be 'perfect' as she called it. More impressionism than realism." A soft chuckle escaped her. "At first, when I went into the room I simply sat on the bed and started talking to her. She didn't say a word, just kept glancing up at me as I spoke until she put her brush down, walked over, and without batting an eyelash told me to lie down. She then arranged me the way she wanted and went right back to her easel, pulling out another blank canvas and starting on her new painting. I didn't know what else to do, so I just kept talking, mostly about art since she was obviously so interested in it, and she eventually started answering. The more she got into her painting, the louder her voice got and the more, I guess you could call it 'informational,' her answers became. I started quizzing her and ended up being quizzed." She laughed softly. "I wonder if I passed?

"If I had to put it into simple phrases, she's well beyond high school level on topics that a male-dominated mindset would consider 'women's issues.' Art, music, conversational English and French – which, by the way, she speaks both better than you do, Sachiko-chan – flower arranging, tea ceremonies," she waved a negligent hand, "things like that. She's not quite as knowledgeable about comparative religions, social issues, or history, but she can speak intelligently on most topics. I'd say her weakest areas are language arts like composition and higher grammar, mathematics, and the sciences. It's obvious that she's been heavily tutored to be some man's arm-candy and be able to run a household to some lesser degree, but not much more." She had to consciously restrain her voice which had started rising along with her ire as she summarized her analysis of the last three hours spent with Yumi. "She's…'amazing' is the only way I can describe her. So intelligent and caring, yet at the same time so innocent and naïve, so…broken," she sighed, her chin falling to her chest.

Both Youko and Sachiko were nodding knowingly while Sei's face was nearly as red with anger as her own.

"So, how was your portrait? Can we see it?" Yoshino asked in all innocence but also likely to try to break the tension in the room. Eriko was certain that her once again flushing face was surprising to her audience.

"That impudent girl had the audacity to paint me in the nude!" she replied in a much softer and embarrassed voice. "I mean, she never once asked and I never took off a single piece of clothing, but it was as if she had x-ray vision or something! Every line and curve, every muscle and shadow, even the damn color and size of my _nipples_, was portrayed as if I'd been as naked as the day I was born. My clothes were absolutely no impediment to her. Shit, I swear that if she'd had me turn over she'd have painted the dimple on my butt!

"And it's absolutely beautiful," she whispered with more than a touch of awe. "I've never had a portrait done before, but now…I don't think I'd ever be able to sit for another. It's that awesome."

"So," Yoshino smirked, "you gonna let us see it?"

"Over my dead body!" she exclaimed.

"Aw, if you can't show it to your family, who can you show it to," the braided girl pouted cutely.

The comment caught Eriko off guard. _Family?_ She laughed softly. _I guess these girls are as much my family as anyone else, maybe more so. What a surprise!_

"We'll see, Yoshino-chan. We'll see," she finally replied with a small grin.

"I told you so," Youko smirked at her. "I told you that you wouldn't be able to walk away from her after spending just an hour with her."

"Yeah," Eriko grinned back. "You told me. I should have believed you, but you're such a bleeding heart meddler and think everyone should feel the same way you do that I can never tell."

"Then I guess it's unanimous?" Youko asked, looking at everyone around the room. "Operation Midway commences?" Every person in the room nodded or voiced their agreement. Instead of being hidden away and essentially disavowed by her family as if she were some unwanted by-blow, Fukuzawa Yumi would be 'liberated' from her 'guardians' and her existence acknowledged to the entire world.

It hadn't taken more than five minutes of searching on the web and looking at her school file to determine that Yumi was actually the firstborn child of Yuichiro and Miki Fukuzawa. Yuuki, the only acknowledged child and heir, was actually a bit more than nine months younger than Yumi. From what they could tell, the only problem with Yumi was that she'd been born a girl instead of a boy, and Yuichiro obviously had no intention of turning over his empire to a mere female.

The situation was so similar to Sachiko's that the sole heir to the Ogasawara fortune was livid. At least in Sachiko's case she'd been acknowledged. Yumi didn't even have that luxury. Instead her birth had been covered up and denied in its entirety. From what the residents of the Rose Mansion could tell, as far as the Fukuzawa's were concerned, Yumi didn't even exist.

"You know, even if she's eventually acknowledged, she might simply end up being married off as some sort of prize to someone the Fukuzawa's want to partner with," Sachiko said into the quiet room. "There's no assurance that doing this will make her any better off. In fact it could make her life even worse than it is now. Despite what they may or may not have done, the Fukuzawa's are still her parents and legal guardians and can do with her whatever they want. If her existence becomes known they may simply make her 'disappear' all over again."

"Then we'll just have to make sure they can't do anything like that," Sei stated with a determination that Eriko had rarely seen in her peer. "I'm no stranger to the intricacies of the legal system when it comes to emancipation of a minor from her parents. If necessary, I can make a couple of phone calls."

"Let's hold off on taking the legal path for a bit," Youko advised, and Eriko agreed wholeheartedly. While it was a decent fallback position, forcing a young girl to break all ties with her family, no matter how bad they might be, wasn't necessarily the best route to take. "Let's at least allow her to be a first-year high school student. From what we've been able to determine, this is the first time she's been in a school and away from home. And she's so happy to have the freedom that she does now; I'd hate to take that away from her by a wrong move this early in the game."

"Agreed," Eriko stated quickly and was followed only half a beat later by the also strident voices of Sei and Sachiko. The other girls in the room were also in agreement.

They had a long way to go, but first and foremost, that young woman painting her heart out upstairs needed to be given the chance to be a normal teenager.

"So, Rei-chan," Eriko rubbed her hands together and grinned, "what's for lunch?"

-oo-

Yumi put the finishing touches on Eriko's portrait just as the last bit of direct light was streaming in through the window of her 'morning studio.' Finding out that Yoshino's bedroom was vacant _and_ received a great deal of morning light _and_ was available for her use if she wanted it for her painting was like winning a free trip to an onsen – or so she figured since she'd never been to an onsen…or anywhere else...or won anything before.

She still couldn't believe she'd spent so much time talking with the older girl. She'd completely lost track of time as she dipped her brush in her paints only to transfer the color to the new canvas where the older girl's portrait was slowly coming to life. Maybe it had been the way the light was hitting the brown-haired Eriko, or the way she was sitting so relaxed on the twin-sized bed, or maybe it was simply the love of life that she exuded, but the sudden urge to paint her had hit Yumi so hard that she simply couldn't ignore it. Luckily Eriko hadn't questioned her odd request or her positioning, instead she'd simply accepted the directions and kept up their running dialogue.

The artist did know that it had been her discussion with Yoshino the previous day that had influenced her decision to use the same techniques and style that Uchida-sensei had used with her own nude figures. That, of course, had driven the need to see the structure of Eriko's body beyond the shroud of her clothing. The way Yumi had positioned her had made that job relatively easy. Her shirt and pants had clung to her body in such a way that the muscles and tendons beneath had been obvious, at least to her. She dearly hoped the older girl hadn't minded the way Yumi had painted her. It wasn't like Yumi had really had a choice. She could only paint what she saw, and at that moment she'd seen Eriko's relaxed nude form as if she'd actually been lying on the bed naked for anyone to see and not a care in the world. It had been invigorating and easily fueled her artistic intent.

Stepping back she looked critically at her work and deemed it reasonably decent enough now that she'd lost her model. Maybe not her best, but certainly not her worst. She'd been able to adequately capture the third-year's playfulness and spirit if not as much of her inbred sensuality as Yumi would have liked. "I guess it's good enough for three and a half hour's work," she shrugged, not completely happy but not unhappy either. "I'll definitely do better on Sachiko's portrait," she vowed, "assuming she agrees to let me paint it in the first place," she sighed resignedly, doubting that she'd actually obtain that agreement.

Glancing at her watch she realized that it was nearing lunchtime and Rei had sent up word that she wouldn't want to miss this meal since she had something special planned. As quickly but carefully as possible, Yumi cleaned her brushes and leaned the finished painting against a wall to dry properly. She then gathered up her gear and carried it all back to her room where she could continue working on her first painting as soon as the light was right. A quick trip to the bathroom to wash up, a brush through her hair and a retying of the ribbons holding her pigtails, and she thought she was probably as ready as she could be to face everyone over the kitchen table again.

There were only two times when Yumi felt as if she had complete confidence in herself. The first was when she was standing behind her easel painting. When she was focused on the creation of her art she was able to somehow put aside – or more likely simply forgot – the timidity with strangers that had been her bane since birth. Her voice would become a bit louder and bolder, her posture more erect, her composure and manner more mature. It was as if she became a completely different person; one much more assured than the mousy little girl she usually was around new people.

The second instance was when she was playing her music. When she played an instrument, and the music filled her soul, she could feel that phenomenal growth in confidence and assurance. Although she typically didn't say a word, she felt she could easily communicate through her music. Joy, laughter, sadness, misery, loneliness, all of her emotions were finely distilled and offered up to the listener; her beating heart on a silver platter. Nothing hidden, no subterfuge, just pure, crystal clear, unadulterated Yumi served up on the finest bone china for your dining pleasure.

Out of everything that she had gained by somehow talking her way out of that estate and into Lillian, all the freedom that she now had as never before, there was one thing she missed about moving into the dorm. She had her violin and shamisen with her, neatly stored in the foot of her wardrobe and a corner of her room respectively, but she'd had to leave her precious piano at the estate. She knew the school had more than one piano and freely made them available for student use, but she would still have to actually leave the dorm to go and find one.

Yumi couldn't count the number of nights she'd ended up playing the baby grand set up in one corner of her large bedroom until her fingers cramped simply trying to purge the negative emotions roiling her mind enough to eventually fall asleep. Of course, her bedroom was soundproofed while her dorm room wasn't. If she played her violin the other girls would certainly complain. She could play her shamisen much more quietly, but the limited number of songs available for it, and it only having three strings, didn't give her quite the same satisfaction and relief as the other two instruments. Still, she'd take what she could get just so long as she didn't disturb anyone.

"I wonder if anyone can tell me where the closest piano is?" she mumbled, hugging herself as her feet softly padded out of her room and down the steps to the kitchen. She was still trying to get used to actually eating with other people. For the vast majority of her life she'd eaten alone in her room. Only on a very few occasions had she eaten lunch or dinner with one of her tutors while studying table etiquette or doing language drills. The tests were always grueling, but she knew they had to report back as to her progress if they wanted to keep their cushy jobs. All the classes in the world didn't make up for her lack of true hands on experience when it came to eating with others. She could handle the mechanics of forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, and not spilling her drink or food in her lap. No, Yumi's downfall was in making what her teachers called "small talk."

Unless she was with someone she felt completely comfortable with it was easier and less troublesome to keep her mouth closed. Unfortunately it appeared both Sei and Yoshino had other ideas.

"Yumi-san, could you paint a nude portrait of Rei-chan for me?" Yoshino grinned wickedly. "I'd love to hang it in our room. Then I could look at it all~ day~ long~," she quipped in a sing-song voice. Rei blushed furiously but for one reason or another wasn't objecting to her cousin's teasing, or her request.

"Oh, then can I have one of Youko…" Sei started to request only to be slapped on the shoulder by the one she wanted modeling.

"Keep your perverted eyes to yourself, Sei," Youko huffed in annoyance, but Yumi could see that even she had a slight tinge of pink in her cheeks. "Actually, Yumi-chan," the black-haired girl turned to her, "I was hoping that you could instead to a portrait of Sachiko for me, tastefully clothed of course."

Yumi nodded her head, but Youko appeared to want more from her, so she said, "if that's all right with Sachiko-sama."

The girl in question laughed softly, almost a snort, but not quite. "If it's for Onee-sama I do not mind, per se, so long as it doesn't interfere with classes. We're here to further our education, not sit for portraits by amateur painters."

"You won't be calling her an amateur after you see the painting she did of me," Eriko stated while pointing her chopsticks at the dark-haired second-year. "Yumi-chan is no dabbler. She has real talent."

It was Yumi's turn to blush at the unexpected compliment.

"I just paint what I see," Yumi murmured softly.

"I can understand that, but don't you even think about painting a nude portrait of me!" the blue-eyed princess demanded.

Yumi cringed in her chair and shook her head adamantly back and forth even as she ducked her chin at the tone of voice so like her 'warden' had typically used on her.

There was no way she could ever paint Sachiko in such a position. True, she always had to paint what she saw, but the girl sitting across from her was far too stately, too regal, to even consider seeing her in such a way. A kimono maybe, a long-sleeved formal furisode, dark as night, with Sachiko's long blue-black hair pulled up into a tight bun held in place by a butterfly comb studded with sapphires the exact color of her eyes, yes, that Yumi could easily see.

"A…a kimono, furisode," she went so far as to whisper even as she turned slightly away from the taller girl, only daring to look at her from the corners of her eyes. The girl looked so cold and stern, truly like the Ice Princess that people had claimed her to be, yet… Yumi allowed her eyes to shift slightly to get a better look at the girl whose portrait she would be painting.

_Yes, like ice_, she thought, _cold and hard, but brittle. Fragile even._ She tilted her head slightly as she dared to glance up into those still stern eyes. _And warmer on the inside than she is icy on the outside. Interesting._

"Just see that you do," Sachiko huffed, pulling the still clean linen napkin from her lap and folding it neatly before laying it on the table next to her now empty plate.

_And considerate of others. A real enigma._

"I don't ever want to see what your perverted imagination might cook up." Yumi cringed even further back into her chair, her food completely forgotten at the disgust she thought she heard in that voice, so reminiscent of her warden's.

"Sachiko," Youko said softly but firmly.

The princess sighed, her hot balloon of haughtiness deflating as if pricked by Youko's pin. "I apologize, Yumi. I'm sure your art is anything but perverted. If Michelangelo can paint nude women on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, then I'm sure your nudes are likely just as pure." Yumi was surprised at the apology and felt herself blushing again. She ducked her chin again, only daring to look up through her eyelashes. "I just want to ensure that you understand me before we start. There will be no nude paintings of me. Is that clear"

"Y-yes, Sachiko-sama," the artist murmured just loud enough to be heard, hoping that her sincerity matched that of the surprising apology she'd just received.

"Good," Sachiko nodded. "I'm glad." She then did most likely the one thing that Yumi had never anticipated; she smiled gently at her. "Please take care of me, Yumi," she nodded her head in a slight bow.

It appeared that it was going to be a day of startling surprises.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

_Third Day at Lily Hall_

Since it was the afternoon, and they couldn't start immediately on Sachiko's portrait anyway, Yumi went back to her first painting of the girl sweeping the path in front of the Rose Mansion. Pointillism was always such intricate and tiring work, but it also gave her a real sense of accomplishment when she was finished. She could hear the other girls "oohing" and "aahing" over her portrait of Eriko in Yoshino's room – now her morning studio – across the way. It was difficult, but she tried to block out the sound of their voices so that she could concentrate on the painting in front of her and not on the one that was already completed.

She'd just really started getting into it when the door to her room was summarily opened without a by your leave and Yoshino burst in.

"Yumi-san! You have got to paint me that picture of Rei-chan! The one you did for Eriko-sama was amazing!"

Once again her past history of not reacting to being rudely interrupted stood her in good stead as she slowly and carefully moved the brush away from her precious canvas. Her tutors and warden at the estate had never provided her one iota of privacy, barging in whenever they felt like it without giving a single thought as to what Yumi might desire. She knew it was all part and parcel of her everyday life, but that didn't make it any less frustrating.

"Maybe I should get a lock put on the door," she ventured aloud with a patently obvious sigh, her voice nowhere near as meek and mild as it usually was.

"Oops, sorry, Yumi-san," Yoshino apologized with chagrin. "I promise to knock next time. I was just so taken with your painting. You really captured Uchida-sensei's style."

"I haven't had the time to develop my own technique and style yet," Yumi nodded her acceptance of the apology as she went back to her painting. "I'm still mostly just copying the styles of other artists including the old Masters. I find a tendency to be leaning a bit more toward a traditional style, but it's also fun to try out new things." She continued to add precise dots and dashes of color to her canvas even as she spoke. Since she was so focused on what was in front of her she didn't notice the surprise on Yoshino's face or the fact that the other girls were slowly gathering around her open door. "Each style and technique has its own merits. Typically it's the subject of the painting that decides the style to be used, not me. It's as if they speak to me and tell me just exactly how they want to be painted."

Yumi sensed more than watched Yoshino move further into the room so that she could get a better look at her current project. Her new friend's eyes stared over her left shoulder at first before moving over to watch over her right. "Renoir?"

"Hmm, I think more Franz Courtens than Renoir," Sachiko's voice intruded, her soft manner doing far more to upset Yumi's thoughts than Yoshino's.

"C-correct," Yumi stammered just a hair in surprise at the older girl's insight, but her voice still stronger than any of the girls had previously heard it. "I've always loved his work, especially _Sunny Lane_."

"I've always been particular to _After the Rain_ myself," Sachiko said, but it was as if she were agreeing with Yumi rather than contradicting her. "Although what you have going here is much more emotional than his works. I can already feel the young girl's loneliness and you're only about half finished from what I can tell."

"About that," Yumi nodded her agreement, continuing with her work and completely bypassing Sachiko's other comment, not wanting to get into a discussion of her subject's – her own – emotional state. "It'll probably take me another day or so to finish this up. I've been thinking that it would probably be best if it were hung either in the living room or as one of three paintings going up the stairs, each one an outdoor view from one of the dorm's windows. Of course that depends on whether or not there are any other views that are as nice as this one."

"The view outside my window is quite nice," Sachiko offered; another surprise. "There is a single mature sakura tree surrounded by those nasty smelling ginkgoes, but the composition, especially now that the sakura is very nearly in full bloom, is quite beautiful."

"I think I'd like to see that," Yumi smiled, an image already forming in her mind. "Luminism?" she asked as a bit of a test.

"Maybe," that same cultured voice came back, "Courtens again? Or maybe Edmund Lewis?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of Jasper Cropsey," Yumi smiled again, this time actually more of a grin since Sachiko had passed her little test with flying colors, "although if they're going to be hung essentially side-by-side it might be best if they were all done in the same style, but we'll see."

"We'll leave you to your painting, Yumi-chan," Youko said, breaking into the brief silence. "I'm looking forward to seeing your finished product." Yumi actually felt a twinge of regret, but wasn't all that surprised that they'd want to leave. She knew she wasn't decent company even at the best of times.

"Nonsense," Sachiko spoke softly nearly right next to Yumi's ear and sending a shiver down her spine both at her closeness as well as at the touch of breath she felt feather her lobe, "I enjoyed your little test," the blue-eyed girl chuckled. "I'd love to spend more time with you, you're quite an interesting person to talk to, but I'll be patient and wait until you begin my portrait. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to speak with each other then. I'm looking forward to it."

Yumi couldn't stop the bright grin from reaching her lips. "I as well, Sachiko-sama," she replied firmly, surprising even herself with how much she was looking forward to the start of their sessions together.

-oo-

"That was quite…surprising," Shimako told the others as they all gathered in the living room once more. "I've never heard Yumi-san speak so forthrightly."

"It's like talking to her doppelganger," Sei agreed. "Where'd my little church mouse go? Who was that girl?" she whined in a teasing voice.

"That was the real Fukuzawa Yumi, the girl behind all that forced indoctrination," Youko stated knowingly. "Quite the contrast, don't you think?"

"I'll say," Yoshino whistled. "She wasn't anything like the puppy I saw yesterday. She was so much more self-assured, not meek like before."

"Not before," Sei sighed, "just whenever she's not painting. You watch. She'll go right back to being our church mouse by the time dinner rolls around. You won't even recognize her as the same girl we just left."

"No bet," Eriko shook her head.

"I wonder if I can get her speaking that confidently while baking," Rei offered.

"Doubtful," Shimako responded, putting in her own thoughts and feelings. "She's obviously had years of practice painting, and also most likely playing music, but I doubt she's spent that same amount of time cooking. I just don't see it."

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could get her acting that confident all the time?" Yoshino sighed.

"Give it time, Yoshino-chan," Youko smiled at her. "She's likely had fifteen years of training that we'll have to try and break. It won't happen overnight. It may not even be by the time you graduate, but it'll happen, slowly but surely, so long as we're patient."

Pretty much everyone agreed with her except for Yoshino who pouted, typically wanting it all _now_, not three years from now.

The only one that kept her views to herself was Sachiko, and unlike the others, she was wondering if maybe she and Yumi could possibly learn from each other. If she could somehow find even half of the confidence that Yumi had just evinced…maybe she could do something about her own family situation.

_One thing at a time._

-oo-

Tsutako Takeshima loved this time of year not so much for the beautifully blooming sakura trees, but rather because those same trees made a wonderful backdrop for all the cute girls rushing hither and yon or simply staying still and enjoying the view and warming weather. She especially like the ones sitting on the well-kept lawns of the school because they had a tendency to become so entranced with the school's beauty that they forgot other things – like ensuring that their skirts properly covered their legs.

"Pink," click.

"White," click.

"Stripes, cute," click, click.

"Ooo, black! You wicked little girl, you," click, click, click.

A brisk wind blew through the yard, causing many of the girls to squeal as skirts were lifted far above acceptable norms.

"Too cute! A bear! And a ducky! Thank you gods of the southern winds!" click, click, click, click.

With each click of her camera's shutter another pair of panties was captured for posterity. If she had to admit to any addictions there were only two that Tsutako would be able to voice. She was addicted to taking pictures of schoolgirls in uniform (pantsu shots were just a sideline), and Starbucks' Mocha Latte with a shot of raspberry. The first she indulged on a daily basis, the second only when she had the time and money, which was usually from sales of her pictures from her first addiction. It was truly shocking how much a picture of a girl's panties could go for over on the Hanadera Boys' Academy campus. Of course she never showed the girls' faces. Even if it would increase the value of her pictures a thousand-fold – twenty thousand if she were able to get a shot of Ogasawara Sachiko's panties – she wasn't going to put the girls in that kind of predicament. Even an opportunistic photographer like Tsutako had her ethics, as odd as that might sound. She refused to have her sterling reputation tarnished by the word 'paparazzi!'

"A thousand yen each for the animal prints and the pink pair, fifteen hundred for the 'pure' white, two thousand for the shimapan, and at least five thousand for the black pair, not bad for a couple of minutes work," she snickered to herself. "Boys can be such fools. If this keeps up I'll be able to afford my new camera by the summer break! God I Love Spring!" she cried out, drawing quite a few curious stares as she danced around the quad like a lunatic. At least until the next breeze blew her own skirt up around her hips and it was her turn to squeal her embarrassment.

"I never would have taken you for red, Tsutako-san," a smothered laugh called from behind her.

"Says the girl who more than likely is going commando," came the quick rejoinder along with a grin as the bespectacled Tsutako turned to regard a face framed by long twin braids. Click, went her camera to capture that image. "Are you 'airing it out' today too, Yoshino-san?" she smirked.

The brown-haired first-year grinned and grasped either side of her pleated uniform skirt, slowly raising the hem until it hung just above her knees. "Are you interested in finding out, Camera-chan?" she asked, using Sei's pet name for the school's self-proclaimed 'Ace' photographer as the hem of her skirt slowly but inexorably continued to rise, revealing pale and slender but surprising shapely thighs. Tsutako quickly brought her camera to her eye and pressed down on the shutter button. Rapid-fire clicks merged with suddenly heavy, rapid breathing were the only responses Yoshino received to her question.

Tsutako dropped into a squat, sitting on the heel of her shoe to get a better angle as well as a firmer base as her camera continued to capture the treasure being ever so slowly revealed. "I wonder just how much such a picture would sell for over at Hanadera?" Yoshino purred, hitting two of the photographer's hot buttons in one sentence.

"I wouldn't sell it," Tsutako replied between hitched breaths as the rising hemline seemed to be slowing down the closer it got to its tantalizing yet elusive goal. "First, Rei-sama would show me just how hard she can hit with her shinai, and second," she paused just a brief moment to take a deeper breath, "I respect Yoshino-san too much to do something like that. I would love to have you do a shoot for me, clothed or not, but I'd never sell that form of photograph to anyone that wouldn't respect the art for what it was and not just the masturbatory effects of the subject matter."

"Hmm," Yoshino smirked. "Such a tempting offer, but it seems you now have a rival for your portraiture, and _she_ can capture nudes without the model even having to take her clothes off."

"Not possible," Tsutako scoffed as she scooted a bit closer, the frame in her viewfinder never wavering. "I've yet to find a camera that also has Superman's selective style of x-ray vision. You can bet, if one existed, I'd own it."

"Who said she was a photographer?" Yoshino laughed again even as she dropped her skirt just in time that the next strong breeze didn't expose that which shouldn't be exposed without prior thought. A moue of disappointment crossed Tsutako's features until Yoshino's words took root.

"A painter? Or a sketch artist?" the short-haired brunette tilted her head to look up at Yoshino's face and not her once again covered legs.

"Painter," the braided girl nodded her reply. "Oils and watercolors. And she's damn good! You should have seen the painting she did of Eriko-sama. It was a fabulous nude, and Eriko-sama swears she never took off even a stitch of clothing." Yoshino had settled to a seat on the ground next to her fellow first-year student, pulling her knees up toward her chest but making sure that her skirt stayed tucked around her ankles. "A completely different medium than you use, but I get the feeling you two could be kindred spirits," the brown-eyed, waif-looking tomboy grinned over at her friend.

"Or rivals," Tsutako smiled back, "especially if she's into painting portraits of schoolgirls in uniform."

"The only one she's finished so far wasn't wearing any uniform," Yoshino snickered at her own weak witticism, "but the other one she's working on is wearing a Lillian uniform, but you only see her from the back." She thought about it a bit before venturing, "From an artist's perspective, she's a lot like you, Tsutako-san. You can really feel the emotions in her paintings, just like I can feel the emotions in your pictures," she smirked again, "at least when they're not panty shots."

"Hey, a girl's gotta do something to keep herself properly supplied with mocha lattes!" Tsutako exclaimed with a laugh that made her deep blue eyes sparkle. "Those things are expensive!"

"I prefer the Sumatran Reserve," Yoshino commented with a wink, "but I know what you mean." Both girls sighed and nodded, acknowledging their similar predilections.

"So," Tsutako sat up a bit, "tell me about this new girl. I assume she's a dorm mate?"

Yoshino grinned. "Cute as a bug and about as innocent as a newborn. The sharks around here are going to eat her up and spit her out like so much chum. I've checked her schedule. She'll be in first-year Peach class, same as you and Shimako. Shimako's promised to watch over her, heck," she laughed darkly, "all of us at the dorm have, but I'd prefer to have more than one person in her class keeping an eye on her so that she doesn't get pulled into the wrong crowds or taken advantage of. You know how they can be," she affected a high, wheedling voice, "'Yumi-chan~, I have something that I absolutely must do for my mother~. Could you please take my cleaning chores for the day~? I promise I'll make it up to you~'."

Tsutako laughed softly. "You've got Harada-san down pat I see. I doubt she did more than two day's-worth of her assigned chores in all three years of middle school."

"Nor any of her own homework in that same amount of time," Yoshino griped, pulling handfuls of grass out by their roots before letting them fly away in the breeze. "And Yumi-san will be an easy target for her. It's still a bit too early to tell, but I sincerely doubt our pigtailed painter is capable of saying 'no' to anybody. It's not a word in her lexicon." She slid a freezing glance at her suddenly grinning friend. "And don't even think about asking her to pose for you, Tsutako-san. She belongs in a position to make art, not be a model for a hentai like you."

Tsutako did her best to look affronted. "I am not a hentai! I am an entrepreneur! It's simply supply and demand. They demand, I supply and pocket the profits. It's strictly business."

"You forget, Tsutako-san," Yoshino smirked, "I've seen your portfolios, both of them, the public as well as the private."

"Then how do you know you can trust me?" the photographer returned the grin.

"Because you know if you so much as take one baby step over the line I'll come after you with more than just Rei-chan's shinai," the brunette replied in a sickeningly sweet voice that did nothing to mask the violent determination in her eyes. For that brief moment Tsutako knew that her friend meant ever word she said and vowed to keep her hands off this Yumi, whoever she was. But she couldn't make it too easy the twin-tail.

"Well~," she drew the word out, "I guess since she's a friend of yours I'll go easy on her. I'll even keep an eye on her for you along with Shimako-san," a feral grin graced her features, "but you'll owe me one…and you know how I collect from people that owe me, Yoshino-chan." It thrilled her to no end to see her friend shiver more with anticipation than actual fear.

"No faces, proper mosaics, nothing that could possibly help identify the model," those brown eyes told her in no uncertain terms.

"Always a pleasure doing business with you, Yoshino-san," Tsutako laughed heartily, holding out her hand to shake on the deal. With seemingly great reluctance, her friend shook her hand to cement the transaction.

Of course, the model Tsutako was envisioning finally getting in front of her viewfinder was certainly not the same person that Yoshino was thinking about.

-oo-

Yumi had set her easel up on the lawn just outside the back door of the Rose Mansion, a blank canvas equal in size to the one she'd just finished awaiting the application of color, texture, and emotion. She'd considered painting the sakura tree from Sachiko's window, much as she had the front path from her own, but she didn't want to intrude that much into the older girl's domain. If anyone knew the importance of privacy it was someone who had never had it. She would enter that room only upon Sachiko's invitation and not before. Besides, the weather was quite conducive to her current activities; warm but not overly so, with a gentle breeze and the fragrant perfume of a sakura in full bloom. What more inspiration could she ask for?

That question was answered when a raven-haired beauty wandered over to the base of the tree and took a seat, leaning her back against the bole and stretching one leg out, the other bent slightly for use as a rest for the book in her hands which she flipped open and began reading. Yumi didn't know if Sachiko was oblivious to her presence or not, but it didn't matter in the least. Yumi gazed upon near perfection and had no choice but to paint it. She quickly grabbed a stick of charcoal and drew in the basics of the tree trunk and the young woman reclining against it. She then took a step back and gazed deeply upon the scene, imprinting it upon her memory so that she could call it up at a moment's notice. That done, she returned to her canvas and began adding dots and short strokes of color.

Paint literally flew from palette to canvas as the picture took on form and substance. It was as if her muse had become a demon, whipping her unmercifully to complete her assigned task, promising only that she could rest when she was done. "What's the saying," she mumbled under her breath, "'you can sleep when you're dead?' or something like that." But she had no intention of dying anytime soon. Even with her whip in hand, her muse was brimming with ideas of ways to capture the essence of the beautiful yet elusive Sachiko. "Lying back in a canoe in the middle of a sparkling lake, wearing a long dress from the 1820s and carrying a matching parasol – something akin to Vladimir Volegov's _Sunday in the Park_, but with a paramour manning the oars. Yes, that would work very nicely. I could even do it as a close-up so that only the paramour's hands on the oars were seen. It would look like the detail from a larger painting, only the larger painting wouldn't exist."

She was so absorbed with what she was doing that the clicking sounds coming from behind her didn't register until she stopped to take a gasping breath, having somehow forgotten to breathe for a bit. When the peculiar noise did finally catch her attention she turned to find a girl pointing some kind of camera at her.

"Excuse me? May I help you?" she enquired politely with a neat bowing of her head.

"Just keep doing what you're doing and pretend I'm not here," the brown-haired girl replied, not even taking the camera from in front of her face as she continued to snap shot after shot of both Yumi and Sachiko. Seeing what she deemed to be a fellow artist at work, Yumi nodded and turned back to her easel to continue her own efforts, putting the photographer out of her mind as she got back into the flow.

"Argh! How can you do that?" the girl asked in a frustrated voice. "How do you pull such emotion from the Ice Princess? I can never get a shot that brings her to light."

Yumi's hands never wavered as she gave serious consideration to the brunette's question. "I think the fact that you consider her to be 'the Ice Princess' is what's holding you back. Zoom in as close as you can, focus on her eyes and lips. See the twinkle and the slight smile," she advised, "then pull back, you'll be able to keep that frame in mind as you take your shot. It's your own preconceptions that are the issue, not the model. Look beyond the facade. See the truth, not the mask." A few moments of silence were followed by a gasp of wonder and a flurry of clicks. "Told you," Yumi smirked.

"How did you do that?"

"The visual arts are all alike in some ways," Yumi shrugged as she added a touch more dark green to Sachiko's uniform to blend the shading. "You want to capture the truth and beauty of the subject, whether it's a person, an animal, a flower, or a blade of grass, you have to look beyond the surface to find the inner beauty. Then you just have to bring it out so that others may see it just as plainly as you do."

"Yoshino-chan was right. You really are amazing."

Yumi laughed. "Hardly! I'm still learning, just like you are. Art and the artist must always be searching, trying new things, progressing, or you end up stagnating. Who wants to create thousands of copies of the same thing over and over again? Each piece is different and so must be treated differently than any of the others that came before it."

"Like each schoolgirl is a unique individual, with their own one-of-a-kind personality, hopes, and dreams. Not just another pretty girl in a uniform." Yumi could almost see the girl nodding her head in agreement. "That's one of the reasons I can't stand fashion magazines. They're all about the clothes, not the soul of the person wearing them."

"So, you already knew it," Yumi grinned, glancing up to see a slightly wider, laughing smile on Sachiko's face. _She definitely knows we're here_, Yumi chuckled to herself. "Get that shot," she whispered to the girl standing behind her. Another gasp of surprise was followed by a single click of a shutter. "Only one?"

"Only needed the one," came the smiling response. "Thank you for that."

"Anytime," Yumi grinned.

"Just keep painting, Yumi-san," the girl told her cryptically, but Yumi took the advice and focused solely on her quickly filling canvas and the scene before her as the other girl started moving around, her camera no longer focused on the model, but on the artist herself. Try as she might, Yumi couldn't keep a slight blush off her cheeks. She wasn't used to being the focal point of someone's attention. It was...strange, but the photographer seemed to be doing what she could not to draw attention to herself, so Yumi did what she could to ignore her and continue her own efforts.

"You're right, Yumi-san," the other girl murmured as she continued to capture her images, "preconceptions are a wall that has to be torn down before the truth can be discovered."

With that cryptic remark, the girl stood from a crouch, her camera finally falling to her chest so that the painter could see the depth of her dark blue eyes behind rimless glasses. Slender but not thin pink lips smiled at her. The Lillian uniform could not hide the lithe, feminine form beneath its dark green drape. Strong hands and wrists, slender but well-made arms capable of holding a camera for hours on end, similarly slender shoulders, but broad enough for the obviously confident and capable young woman the girl would eventually turn into. _Very similar to Rei-sama, strength in a feminine form. Sure of who she is and where she wants to go and determined to get there under her own power._

"So, since I've been your model, do I get the same benefit?" she grinned.

"Hmm, I don't know," the girl put a finger to her lips coquettishly which contrasted nicely with the wickedness in her eyes, "I've heard you paint nudes."

Yumi's grin widened even as she put the day's finishing touches to her painting as the light began to fail. She dropped her brush into a can of solvent sitting next to her on the grass, her eyes slowly raking the girl's form from ankles to thighs, hips to waist, bust to neck, finally settling on those twinkling eyes. A shiver seemed to run down the girl's back as she was essentially undressed by Yumi's eyes. "I could do that…if you want," Yumi laughed softly, "and I could certainly see you in such a state, but I somehow get the impression that you prefer your models be the ones exposed, not the photographer herself."

"For you I might make an exception," that velvety voice purred.

"If you two are quite finished picturing each other naked," Sachiko's soft, laughing voice interrupted the pair, "I believe Rei has dinner nearly ready." Yumi hadn't realized the older girl had gotten up from her reading and blushed furiously that her thoughts had been so easily seen. "You're welcome to join us, Tsutako-san," Sachiko smiled at their visitor who seemed surprised that the school's idol knew who she was. "I believe tonight's meal is a vegetarian lasagna, so there should be more than enough to accommodate an extra plate."

"Th-thank you, Sachiko-sama!" Tsutako stammered only briefly before grinning again. "Far be it for me to turn down an opportunity to eat Rei-sama's food."

"That would be foolish," Sachiko nodded before turning to Yumi. "Do you have enough for today's project?"

"Y-yes, Sachiko-sama," Yumi stuttered, falling back into her normal timidity without a brush in her hand. "Th-thank you, very much for your kind assistance."

The taller second-year reached out to gently fix Yumi's collar and scarf. _Click._ "No, thank you, Yumi. I had a very relaxing, enjoyable afternoon. Don't take too long cleaning up," she added as she smoothed out Yumi's collar, her long fingers lingering briefly on her chest just above her breasts and making Yumi's heart beat wildly, "the fresh baked bread has a tendency to go quickly when both Eriko-sama and Yoshino-chan are there," she chuckled.

"Y-yes," Yumi's chin dropped in a failed attempt to hide her blush. Sachiko just smiled again, patted Yumi briefly on the shoulder, and nodded to the two girls before entering the dorm through the kitchen door. The smell of garlic and basil wafting from the briefly open door had both first-years mouth's watering.

"She smiled…and laughed! I don't think I've ever heard Sachiko-sama laugh before," Tsutako ventured in a soft, wonder-filled voice. "And she knew my name!"

"Th-that's more th-than I c-can say," Yumi murmured, her weak personality now completely in control again.

Tsutako's head tilted to the side as if trying to understand the sudden change in the girl before her, but shook it off and struck a dramatic pose. "Tsutako Takeshima, Ace Photographer of Lillian Girls' Academy at your service, Yumi-sensei," she bowed with a flourish. "Just call me Tsutako, no honorifics please. I get the feeling we're going to be the very best of friends," she smiled widely, that sparkle in her eyes again. "Besides," she winked, "I can't have the girl who's going to be painting me in the nude worried about honorifics."

"F-Fukuzawa Yumi," the painter bowed her head. "J-just call me Yumi."

Tsutako grabbed a few of Yumi's things from the ground, leaving the actual painting to the artist's care. "Then let's hurry, Yumi. I don't want to miss out on Rei-sama's bread," she laughed.

"Y-yes, Tsu-Tsuta-Tsutako," the pigtailed girl replied with another furious blush as she carefully gathered up her courage along with the still wet painting and easel and followed her newest friend into the dorm.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I guess it's about time for this.

Disclaimer: I do not own MSGM or any of its characters. All such honors belong to Oyuki Konno.

And since this chapter is the equivalent of the "hump" chapter, I'll publish it on Hump Night.

I'll also ask very nicely, if you're enjoying the story, please leave me a note and let me know. I love hearing from you. (^_^)

* * *

Chapter Seven

_Third Evening at Lily Hall_

"The difference was so shocking!" Tsutako exclaimed with a shake of her head. She and Yoshino were sitting in the room Yoshino shared with Rei after dinner comparing notes regarding Yumi. "I swear, if I didn't know better I'd say she was bipolar or something. It's like talking to two completely different people!"

"I warned you Tsutako-san," Yoshino nodded emphatically, her arms across her chest and looking like an expert pontificating to a particularly dense student, "when she's painting, Yumi-chan has the confidence of a master, but when she's not engaged in her art it's like she's just waiting for the next blow to fall."

"Warning me and actually seeing it myself are two completely different things, Yoshino-san," the photographer said while still unable to believe the radical change she'd witnessed in Yumi's demeanor during their evening meal. Then she grinned and her eyes took on a particularly wicked gleam. "But you were certainly right about her being as cute as a button. I'd definitely tap that!"

"Tsutako-san!" Shimako squeaked in shock. She'd joined her two friends shortly after dinner had been cleaned up and everyone went their separate ways. Yumi had told them she wanted to spend some time thinking about a few things so they'd left her at the door to her room.

"Well, maybe, maybe not," the photographer smirked, happy to have gotten such an exquisite reaction from the school's angelic miko. "Anyway, I certainly wouldn't mind getting her to pose for me again."

"From what I saw, you didn't get her to pose for you in the first place," Yoshino laughed softly. "You just took your shots as they were given."

"Oh, speaking of which," the bespectacled girl jumped up from the bed she'd been sitting on and moved over to the desk so that she could get at her friend's computer. She quickly pulled the SIM card from her camera and downloaded the photos she'd taken that afternoon. Even before she looked at them she attached the entire folder as a zip file and emailed it to her school account. The other two girls quickly crowded behind her so that they could look over her shoulders at the results.

"Oh, my!" Shimako whispered. "Is that really Sachiko-sama?"

"Better than I'd even hoped for," Tsutako sighed with relief. "It's taken me years, but I finally got some really good photos of our school's princess. And it took Yumi to do it. I'll never allow my own preconceived notions to get in the way of my art ever again. Three years wasted, and Yumi teaches me what I'm doing wrong with just a few words. Talk about feeling like a complete idiot."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Tsutako-san," the blonde Shimako told her friend. "How many of us have truly seen beyond Sachiko-sama's mask? We've all known her for so long. It just took a fresh pair of eyes to show us what we'd all been missing."

"Uh huh," the glasses girl mumbled as she swept through the pictures she'd taken earlier. "And you don't have to worry. I'm definitely in. I'll help keep an eye on Yumi. At first I was thinking you must have been smoking something she seemed too confident, but after that," she shrugged, "definitely shark bait. It's not like she can walk around school with a paintbrush in her hand all the time; even if that would work. But it's not going to be easy. She didn't say much of anything at dinner, but what she did say was essentially all variations on the theme of 'yes, sempai, whatever you say sempai'. It got to the point I was wondering where her backbone had run off to."

"She only grows one when…" Yoshino started to reply when all three girls became aware of a soft, lilting sound coming from the backyard. It was nearly a race to see who could get to the window fast enough, but unfortunately Yoshino's window faced the wrong direction. So they were out the door and down the stairs at a rush, nearly running over both Youko and Sei in their panic to get there first.

"SHHHH!" Youko admonished them before they stepped one foot into the kitchen. "Don't you dare disturb her!"

"We'll be quiet as mice," Yoshino grinned.

It was a still excited but much quieter group of girls that finally made their way to gather round the kitchen window that looked out on the backyard.

Yumi stood at the base of the sakura tree, violin in hand, swaying gently and playing a sad lament. The little amount of moonlight making its way through the lush foliage was just barely enough to make out her silhouette. In contrast, the music was both bright and pure, if melancholy.

"Elgar's violin concerto in E minor, second movement, _Romance_," Sachiko whispered to the silently appreciative audience having come last into the kitchen. "She plays the way she paints, with her whole heart and soul, holding nothing back. It's supposed to be accompanied by a piano and for the first time I wish I'd allowed my father to have one installed here."

"Nothing to say you still can't," Youko nodded. "Maybe not a grand, or even a baby grand, but certainly we can find room for an upright. Didn't Eriko say something about Yumi playing the piano as well?"

"And the shamisen," Sei nodded. "Where is our favorite nympho tonight anyway?"

Youko's reply was to nod her head toward the base of one of the ginkgoes where, if you were diligent, you might be able to see a shadow lying on the ground, one arm in the air and seeming to be directing the music.

"Front row seat, I see," Sei chuckled.

"Shhh!" three other girls admonished her.

Seemingly without transition, Yumi moved from one song to another.

"That's Debussy, isn't it?" Rei asked her best friend.

"Hmm, _Beau Soir_. The Jascha Heifetz arrangement. Also for violin and piano." She seemed to take a deep breath before continuing, this time quoting.

"When the rivulets are rosy in the setting sun,  
And a mild tremor runs over the wheat fields,  
An exhortation to be happy seems to emanate from things  
And rises towards the troubled heart.

"An exhortation to enjoy the charm of being alive  
While one is young and the evening is beautiful,  
For we are going on, as this stream goes on:  
The stream to the sea, we to the grave.

"It's a poem by Paul Bourget and was Debussy's inspiration for the concerto. Debussy was only twenty-one or so at the time." She turned to the younger girls and exhorted them to "watch her" tonight.

"You don't think…"

"No, I don't," Sachiko sighed, "but better safe than sorry."

Tsutako thought for a moment before grinning. "Sounds like a nice night for a good old fashioned sleepover."

-oo-

The depression had come on swiftly during dinner. Yumi couldn't think of what might have triggered it, but it hit her hard all the same. She'd ended up barely saying two words to anyone, let alone their guest, Tsutako. There wasn't enough light to paint, and her shamisen had never been able to pull her out of these sudden fugues, so she gathered her violin from the bottom of her wardrobe and snuck out back where she'd be less likely to disturb anyone. While it was a cool evening, a sweater was all that she needed to fend off the mild chill. Slowly she made her way to the base of the sakura tree where it was darkest and she'd be harder to spot. It was dark enough that she didn't notice a recumbent Eriko lying beneath one of the ginkgoes closer to the side yard staring up at the stars.

A few precious moments tuning and she was off, moving from one melancholy piece to another, the few notes necessary for transition formulating in her mind toward the end of the previous work so that her bow was never still unless called for in the music itself. She didn't know why, but playing upbeat songs had never done a thing to offset her depressions, while sad, melancholy songs actually helped alleviate the crushing emotions. It was as if pouring all her angst into her music allowed her to vent it from her heart and mind, leaving her clear headed once more.

Yumi played for nearly an hour non-stop, running through nine different musical pieces, and only when she finally paused to take a breather and stretch out her arm and neck muscles did she realize she'd somehow picked up an audience.

"Brava," the tall, dark haired girl called out softly while clapping her hands together. Yumi felt the blood rushing to her cheeks and ears and ducked her chin to try to hide her flushing face. "I'm sorry for intruding. I was just taking a walk before bedtime when I heard your violin. That was a truly wonderful performance."

"It's nothing, really," Yumi squeaked in a peak of embarrassment, happy that she was able to find her voice, even if it was muted, "just a little bit of playing around."

"If that's 'playing around' I'd love to hear you when you get serious," the older and only slightly taller girl laughed, her voice sounding like church bells when she finally stepped fully into the moonlight where Yumi could see her properly. She had nearly shoulder length, straight black hair and dark eyes. There wasn't enough light to judge their color, but she thought they were probably brown. "My name is Kanina Shizuka," the girl introduced herself with a slight bow. "I'm a second-year here at Lillian and a music student, primarily voice although I play a little piano as well. You are…"

Yumi's blush deepened. "Fukuzawa Yumi, first-year Peach class. In fact it's my first year at Lillian period, so please excuse me if I should already know of you."

"Nonsense, Yumi-san," the girl gave out that wonderful laugh again. "While I may be egotistical enough to believe that I've become somewhat known here at school for my singing, I'm certainly not the most popular girl on campus. I believe one of your dorm mates happens to hold that particular distinction," she grinned, obviously speaking of Sachiko. "If I may be so bold as to ask, have you signed up for any music classes?"

"Piano and violin," Yumi nodded, seeming to be gathering her feet beneath her again as she became more comfortable with the topic. "I was also hoping to maybe join one of the music clubs, but I don't know enough about them yet to even begin to decide which one."

"Oh, well," Shizuka held up a hand and started counting on her fingers. "There's the orchestra of course, but there's also separate ones for chamber music, jazz, choral music, religious music, traditional Japanese music, there's even one for pop and rock and, if the rumors are true, one somewhat underground group that's into anything to do with metal," she laughed gently, her eyes sparkling. "I myself am actually a member of the opera club. We usually work with the orchestra, dance, and drama clubs to produce one or two performances per year. Last year we did Bizet's _Carmen_ and this year we're considering, among others, Mozart's _The Magic Flute_. I've always wanted to see if I can handle the role of the Queen of the Night."

"Oh, the soprano coloratura?" Yumi squealed with delight, both her depression and her timidity having flown somewhere else for the moment. "I've never been able to understand how someone could manage a full two octave range, from F4 to F6. The technical difficulties and intricacy of the staccato highs when performed correctly are simply breathtaking."

"Finally! Someone who understands!" Shizuka did a good impression of Yumi's squeal, causing the blood that had finally begun to settle to rush back into her cheeks. "Oh, don't be like that, Yumi-san," the girl laughed. "I was just teasing, though it really is nice to find someone sufficiently familiar with the piece to understand its difficulty."

"I've never played it before," Yumi admitted as her embarrassment slowly faded, "but I've heard it a few times. I especially liked Edda Moser's performance. It only seemed right for it to be included in the music collection sent into space on Voyager I."

"I know! Right?" the black-haired second-year nodded sagely. "And Bach's Brandenburg Concerto!"

Yumi had to grin. How many people knew of the pieces of music sent into outer space on the first Voyager mission nearly twenty years before they'd been born? Had she maybe found a kindred spirit? Shizuka glanced at her watch.

"It's starting to get late," she looked back up to Yumi, "Would you mind if we continued this discussion some other time? While it feels nice, the damp night air isn't all that great for my voice, but I'd love to speak with you again."

"I'd like that, very much, sempai," Yumi blushed again with a slightly deeper bowing of her head.

"Then I'll see you later, Yumi-san," the older girl smiled, bowing herself. "Don't stay out too late. I think your friends will be worried."

"Friends?" Yumi's face scrunched up in confusion. Shizuka's only reply was a glance toward the dorm. Yumi looked to see the kitchen window nearly filled to over-flowing with her dorm mates, each and every one of them smiling or grinning at her.

"Don't keep them waiting, Yumi-san" the opera singer smiled as she turned to head back to the school's other dormitory.

"Y-yes!" Yumi squeaked, much happier than she'd been at dinnertime. Whether it was playing her violin, Shizuka's compliments, the possibility of having found another friend, or realizing that maybe she already had some friends…the reason didn't matter. "Thank you, Shizuka-sama!" she called out over her shoulder as she grabbed her violin case and started running to the back porch and her friends.

-oo-

"Be gentle with her, Shizuka-chan," Eriko called out softly to the school's famous soprano before the dark-haired girl could slip past her, not bothering to move from her reclining position at the base of the tree. While Sachiko might be the school's idol and most popular girl, Shizuka was the darling of the stage for her beautiful, mature voice and had quite a following of her own. And given the girl's inclinations, it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility for her to capture the heart of a certain first-year painter and musician.

"I will, Eriko-sama," Shizuka chuckled. "I wouldn't want Sachiko-san to come after me."

"Oh?" Eriko sat up a bit at this little tidbit of gossip.

"You didn't see the way our 'Ice Princess' was glaring at me the entire time I was speaking to Yumi-san?" Shizuka giggled, going so far as to put her fingers over her lips, her eyes twinkling like twin stars with their own inner light. "I could practically feel her fingers wrapping around my throat, her jealousy was so poignant. I value my voice too much to even think of stepping between those two."

"Crap! How did I not notice?" Eriko sighed, her head falling back to the ground, angry at herself for being so oblivious. She was normally the first one to pick up on these kinds of things and she hated it when she missed the little signs and cues as if it were a serious failing on her part.

"You were caught up in her music, just as I was." Shizuka's tone was placating, and there was some truth in what she said, but still Eriko vowed to be more observant.

"Maybe," the brown-haired third-year sighed. "She was fantastic, wasn't she? She had tears rolling down my cheeks."

"Mine too," the other girl nodded, slowly moving away again. "Watch over her, Eriko-sama. I know I will. She's precious."

"You don't have to tell me that," Eriko laughed, the image of her new portrait forming in her thoughts along with the weeping child she'd scared out of her wits the previous morning. "And thank you. We'll take all the guardian angels we can find for this one."

"Always the mother hens," Shizuka laughed as she wandered into the night, "though she may be stronger than you think. Sweet dreams, Eriko-sama."

"You too, Shizuka-chan," Eriko grinned while wondering what the black-haired songstress had meant. "Stronger than we think? Damn! I must be getting lazy."

-oo-

Shimako looked around her bedroom at the smiling and laughing faces of her fellow first-years. She had already dressed for bed in one of her many pairs of footie pajamas, this particular pair a fuzzy pink and covered with various images of playful kittens. Tsutako was wearing a cotton nightgown she'd borrowed from Yoshino, who was wearing one of her own, while Yumi was wearing a pair of light green, long-sleeved flannel pjs covered in musical notes and stanzas. The pigtailed girl was sitting on one of the two futons the girls had pulled out of storage, her jiuta shamisen in her lap as she quietly plucked the melody to an old tune. With her eyes closed and the slight smile on her lips, it took very little imagination to see the musician as one of Lady Saigō's blind _goze_ from long ago.

As a miko Shimako wasn't unfamiliar with the shamisen herself, having been required to play the instrument for various ceremonies as she was growing up. On impulse she got up and walked over to the corner of her room that contained a long, slender case. All chatter seemed to dissipate when she pulled out her own shamisen and quietly tuned it before returning to take a seat on her bed. The old folk song Yumi was playing was one that Shimako happened to know as well, so at an appropriate moment she joined in, playing a counterpoint to the song that her father had taught her.

Her finger's never wavered, but Yumi's eyes flew open in surprise, turning those wide brown eyes on Shimako. Only a moment later, her small smile broadened into a wide grin.

"I've never played a duet before," Yumi said shyly, her fingers continuing to pluck at her instrument. "The closest I've come is playing my violin along with a recording of my own piano."

"Your instructors never played along with you? Not even for a concerto?" Yoshino asked, surprised. Yumi shook her head.

"I had to learn the piano part first, record it, then add the violin later while listening to the recording." She tilted her head to one side seeming to be trying to think. "I'm not sure I've ever heard myself play a full piece. My tutors never recorded the end result, only the individual instruments. I don't really know why…" Her face wasn't registering much of any emotion, but there was a very slight bitterness in her voice.

Shimako was about to comment, but was interrupted by the other, so far silent occupant of the room.

"Hey, Yumi-san, think you could show me those paintings Yoshino-san was telling me about?" Tsutako was almost comically bouncing on her futon, using the most impressive puppy-dog eyes that Shimako had ever seen. While Yumi most likely didn't realize the 'Ace' photographer was trying to divert her attention away from potentially painful thoughts, Shimako saw right through the bespectacled girl's intent.

"Yeah, let's show her, Yumi-san!" Yoshino joined in the bouncing. With a giggle at their antics, the artist reluctantly agreed, laying her instrument aside. The four of them then trooped into Yoshino's 'assigned' bedroom where Yumi had stored her art supplies for the night.

"Oh, wow," Tsutako whispered as she saw the now two completed paintings – the nude of Eriko and the one of a girl sweeping a cobblestoned path – along with the partially completed picture of the sakura tree. "These are like…wow."

"I know, Eriko-sama's never looked better," Yoshino smirked.

Shimako had seen any number of nude paintings in her years of study, but seeing the naked body of one of her close friends still brought a slight heat to her cheeks. Instead she turned her attention to the new painting sitting on the easel. "Is that Sachiko-sama?" she asked.

"Um, yeah," Yumi blushed. "She just sort of came along, got in the picture and, well…"

"You just had to paint her," Tsutako smirked. "Can't imagine why." The artist's blush just deepened further. "Then again, even I took about twenty or so shots of the both of you this afternoon."

"You got pictures of Yumi-san, too!" the normally braided Yoshino spun to confront her friend, her unbound hair flowing around her hips. "You didn't tell me that!"

As Tsutako and Yoshino heatedly badgered each other, Shimako moved over next to the person in question.

"You don't mind, Yumi-san?" she asked.

"What? About the paintings, or about the photos?" she shrugged, "I'm sure they're not worth publishing, and if she did want to publish them for some reason, I'm also sure she'd ask permission. Otherwise I'm just like Sachiko-sama is in the painting, a convenient model in the right place at the right time." She walked over to the easel and laid a hand against the canvas' wooden frame, not touching the actual painting itself. "I'll ask Sachiko-sama first before I let Youko-sama hang this one anywhere, even if it's just in the dorm. It's simply good manners to get the model's permission before displaying their image."

Yumi's eyes were unfocused, as if she were seeing the scene as it was earlier that day, not the version she'd painted so far. There was a tiny, shy smile on her lips that Shimako found cute. _Thinking about Sachiko-sama, I'm sure_, the miko figured. Like Eriko, Shimako had also seen the look their dorm mate was giving Shizuka as she was speaking with Yumi. _If looks could kill_, she just barely kept herself from giggling at the memory of the fire in those deep blue eyes.

"By the way, I saw you speaking with Shizuka-san. I have to assume you were discussing music. That's all that girl lives for."

"Uh huh," Yumi nodded, her lips smiling a bit more at that memory. "She seems like a nice person."

"She is," Shimako agreed with a nod. "Very nice. She's part of the school's choir as well as in the opera club. She has a beautiful voice. Like an angel. She turned down a full scholarship to a music conservatory in Italy last year. Says she's holding out for Paris. Something tells me she'll get it."

"I've no doubt," Yumi chuckled softly, "her laugh is like church bells."

Was it because she was in her studio that Yumi seemed easier to talk to, more confident in herself? Or was it just that she was becoming a bit more used to the company? Shimako didn't know and, for now, didn't care. She'd take what she could get. _One day at a time._

"It's getting late, we should probably get back my room," she offered.

Yumi turned to look at her, that pretty smile still gracing her lips. "I've never been to a sleepover before. It's fun."

"Oh," Shimako laughed softly, turning to glance at the two girls arguing over which one of them should be the next nude Yumi painted, "something tells me it'll get better before we're allowed to sleep. Expect to have one or both of them ask you to paint their nude portraits. I'll bet you they end up arguing over whose body would be better as a model."

"They're both beautiful," Yumi replied with a confused look. "Different maybe, but each has their own beauty." She trained her eyes on the girls and truly focused. "I can see both of them already. Yoshino-san as a fierce warrior maiden, naked from the waist up wielding a pair of bloody katana, dead foes at her feet, and Tsutako-san sitting at a desk with only a single lamp, pouring over photos of naked girls late in the evening while wearing just a thin robe that leaves nothing to the imagination, as much a part of her own art as the models in her photos."

Her descriptions and the tone of her voice drew Shimako into the images Yumi was creating in her mind's eye. And she was right, they were vividly 'there,' unable to be turned away from. She didn't know if she'd ever be able to look at the two girls again without seeing them the way Yumi did. It was daunting, frightening.

"Marvelous," she whispered.

"They are, aren't they," Yumi giggled. She then turned back to look at Shimako, her eyes once again focusing, but this time at the miko.

"Don't even think about it, Yumi!" she gasped. "My father would kill me!"

Yumi's real laugh also sounded a bit like bells.

-oo-

Youko couldn't help but smile as she listened to the younger girls having fun and arguing over which one of them looked better naked. Then she heard another laugh, this one somewhat high and tinkling like Christmas bells.

"So, she can laugh as well," she grinned to herself.

"Youko-oneesama?" Sachiko asked.

"I was just wondering what _you_ might look like painted in the nude, Sachiko," the older girl chuckled. Instead of the blush of embarrassment she'd fully expected, the sapphire-eyed princess instead smiled enigmatically.

"Maybe you'll get a chance to see one of these days."

For maybe the first time ever, Sachiko had struck her sempai speechless.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Many, many thanks to those that reviewed.

* * *

Chapter Eight

_Fourth Day at Lily Hall_

Yumi had never had so much fun in her life.

If she'd realized just how much fun a sleepover could be, she would have definitely put it on her list of top ten things to do. She and her friends (just _thinking_ the word made her giddy) had stayed up until nearly three in the morning talking, laughing, telling stories, playing music and games, and just having a grand old time. Yet no matter how late she'd gotten to bed the previous evening, or morning as the case may be, she was up before dawn to make sure she'd done all her chores before the start of the new day. Even though she was now charged with painting pictures and portraits for display in the Rose Mansion, Yumi felt that there was more she could do to help her newfound friends out, so she had decided to take on the job of keeping the floors clean. Really, the hard part of that first initial cleaning was over. Now it was simply a matter of daily maintenance, but she knew at least Rei would be grateful for her efforts.

Slipping out of Shimako's room had been easy, although the miko had briefly opened her eyes to tell Yumi a very sleepy good morning before they sagged closed again. Returning to her own room, Yumi quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before heading downstairs to the kitchen where she'd previously found the cleaning products. Just over twenty minutes later she stood back to view her handiwork with a satisfied smile on her face. The girls were very good about taking off their outdoor shoes and either slipping into indoor shoes or just walking in their stocking feet which made her chosen job much easier.

"Stairs next," Yumi nodded briskly to herself, wanting to eventually do the second floor hallways as well. The stairs were more difficult seeing as they hadn't been cleaned in quite a while either. She was finishing up just as Rei came out of her room to begin breakfast preparations.

"The stairs look wonderful, Yumi-san," the blonde grinned while looking down at her from the second floor landing. "You don't know how much I appreciate your efforts. Getting the school's janitorial staff to do much of anything over here is like pulling teeth. For some reason they've gotten it into their heads that we're supposed to be completely self-sufficient. About the only thing they do is to take the trash and recycling to the dumpster behind the admin building once we've put it in the appropriate bins outside the dorm's back door."

"It's no problem at all, Rei-sama," Yumi beamed up at the smiling second-year. "I like feeling needed and seeing the results of my hard work, so I'm being completely selfish in doing this."

Rei laughed softly, slowly and carefully walking down the nearly dry stairs to join her kohai at the bottom. "Selfish or not, I want you to know that your efforts are appreciated," she tilted her head slightly to give Yumi a questioning glance, "but what makes you get up so early in the first place? I'm usually the first person awake."

The pigtailed girl shrugged, wringing the damp cloth one more time above the bucket to make sure she'd gotten all the water out of it. "It's just a habit I got into a long time ago. I hate to waste a single hour of the day, so I usually get up a little before dawn. This way I'm awake and my chores are complete when the morning sun rises high enough to paint. I also like to watch the sunrise, so it's a double win for me," she grinned shyly, picking up the bucket of now dirty water to take it to the back door for dumping at the base of one of the trees.

"Speaking of painting," Rei spoke quietly as the two girls walked into the brightening kitchen, "how's the new painting coming?"

"Good," Yumi smiled as she opened the back door, a bit surprised when Rei followed her. "I was a bit surprised when Sachiko-sama decided to use the sakura as a backrest for reading, but adding her into the picture actually made things a bit easier. Since the first painting also had a student in it, I think they all should have one or more students as part of the scenery. It also got me to thinking, I'd originally planned on three, but the first is obviously a fall scene and this next one is spring. I was thinking of maybe doing summer and winter as well; one for each season."

"Sounds like a plan to me," the older girl nodded as Yumi dumped the water at the base of one of the ginkgoes. She then took the bucket from the brunette. "Here, let me show you where the outside spigot is so you can rinse that out. Then you can help me in the kitchen."

"H-help?" Yumi squeaked. "I've never cooked anything before. I'm sure I'll mess something up!"

"No time like the present to start learning," Rei's brown eyes grinned at her. "And don't worry. Everyone screws up when they first start. I know I did! I nearly burned the house down the first time I tried to fry eggs," she laughed. "But you get better with practice and knowing how to follow a recipe. I promise, by the end of this school year you'll be able to cook pretty much anything just so long as you have a recipe. There's nothing like being able to feed yourself to prove your independence. And if you like seeing the results of your hard work, think about what _tasting_ the results of your efforts will feel like."

"Then, please take care of me, Rei-sama," Yumi bowed, the grin on her lips surprising her. She'd never once thought about cooking for herself, but she could see the logic and the appeal. To be able to fend for yourself, not to be dependent upon anyone else for your own wellbeing, it was almost the definition of freedom!

_Something else to add to the top ten list_, she giggled.

Yumi only burnt two pieces of bread before she figured out the proper settings for the toaster, and her first attempt at cracking eggs was…messy, but the one good thing she could always say about herself was that she learned quickly and didn't mind cleaning up after herself. Yumi admitted that she was no Superwoman. There were things she simply couldn't do, higher math and science seemed to be beyond her at times, but even there her tutors had told her she was at least making progress, if slowly. Both her tutors and her doctors had commented that the right hemisphere of Yumi's brain, the side that dealt more with art and spatial concepts, was more active than the left. But even there she seemed to somehow compensate by seeing normally left hemispherical activities, such as foreign languages, as arts instead of tasks. Thus, thinking of cooking as being 'the culinary arts' made it much easier for her to comprehend. Math, science, and even some of the higher grammar, on the other hand, simply didn't lend themselves to such thinking, so she was much further behind in those subjects than she was in the more 'artistic' oriented subjects.

Still, as she did her best to find and pick the tiny bits of eggshell out of the mixing bowl, she resolved to eat her own creation, no matter how horrendous it might turn out, rather than foist it off on some unsuspecting victim.

"Having said that," Rei chuckled gleefully, "whatever you do, don't let Yoshino-chan anywhere near a kitchen appliance. I don't care whether it's a rice cooker, a microwave, or a cast iron skillet, somehow she always ends up finding a way to break them," she laughed.

"Then it's a good thing she has you to cook and care for her, Rei-sama," Yumi grinned up at the older girl, thereby catching the look of complete and utter adoration for her cousin in those brown eyes.

"I hope I'm still cooking her meals sixty or seventy years from now," Rei murmured softly, her eyes turning a bit fuzzy as she seemed to gaze into that distant, wonderful future.

"I pray you are as well," Yumi smiled up at her sempai sadly, wondering what it would be like to care for someone that much for that long.

Her breakfast could certainly have been worse. It beat out her usual rice gruel by a long shot, even if both the eggs and toast tasted a bit like charcoal. And the grilled fish, which fortunately Rei cooked, was out of this world with delicately flavored, tender flakes of meat.

"Next time I'll teach you how to make tamagoyaki, Yumi-chan," Rei told her as the two sat across from each other at the table. It was still a bit early for everyone else to be up, and Rei had told her she usually tried to eat early so that she could prepare the breakfasts as people showed up to the table. "That's really only on weekends and during school breaks," the older girl advised. "During the school year you need to be down here no later than seven-thirty every morning. Since we all need to get to our classes at the same time, cooking one meal and eating breakfast together only makes sense. That way we can also see if someone overslept or may not be feeling well. If you're not at breakfast, something must be wrong."

"You really are like the dorm's mother," Yumi giggled as she picked up another piece of fish along with a touch of rice that Rei had added to her plate.

Rei shrugged. "What can I say? I care about everyone living here as if they were my family." She deliberately pointed a fork at Yumi's plate, "that includes you, Yumi-chan, so get used to being mothered and coddled."

"Yes, Mother," the pigtailed girl giggled again and quickly went back to eating in order to hide the warm feelings rushing through her at those heartfelt words.

"Sister! Not Mother!" Rei told her sternly, but with a grin that matched Yumi's giggle.

"Mother _and_ sister," Sei chuckled from where she was leaning against the doorframe watching the two younger girls eat. "Don't let Rei-chan fool you. She's your sister most of the time, but as soon as you get hungry or sick she's going to be all over you just like a mother hen with her little chicks."

"Can I help it if I'm a caring individual?" the younger blonde griped sourly, shoveling the food remaining on her plate into her mouth before getting up to fix her sempai's meal. "I seem to remember that the last time you were ill, Sei-sama, you were acting more like a spoiled, teething baby than a mature high school girl," Rei grinned cuttingly.

"Ouch!" the grey-eyed girl clutched dramatically at her heart, "A shot right to the ego! Don't let that pretty face fool you, Yumi-chan," Sei laughed wickedly, "she's really a deadly ninja rigorously trained in the obscure art of character assassination."

Yumi couldn't help but laugh at the two girls' snide comments. It was such a difference from her own lonely world.

"I don't know, sempai," Rei was saying, "from what I've heard, your ego seems to be firmly rested in your tongue."

"Wouldn't you like to know," Sei laughed and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh! Oral sex!" Yumi exclaimed with wide eyes, suddenly seeing the connection. When the other two turned gawking eyes on her she blushed. "I'm sorry. I've said something outrageous. It's just that I've been studying the human sexuality book that the library was kind enough to loan me. My tutors taught me the basics, what people would call 'the birds and the bees,' but now that I think about it, I believe they purposely stayed away from anything that didn't have to do with the scientific aspects of reproduction, as if they were afraid or were told not to go into the emotional side of the equation." She sighed wistfully. "After reading some of it, I'm sure most girls my age are more into the romance aspect of love and sex than they are thinking about the possible consequences of unwanted pregnancies."

Because she was looking up toward the ceiling, Yumi missed the glancing look between her two seniors.

"So, all of this is still somewhat hypothetical for you, Yumi-chan?" Sei asked carefully as she moved to take a seat across from the younger girl.

"Hmm? Oh, yes," Yumi blushed. "All I know is what I've been told and what I've now read about. It's not like I had any real opportunities for romantic interactions with members of the opposite sex," she paused a moment then blushed again, thinking about how clinical she probably sounded, so she clarified, "I mean, boys." She then paled a bit realizing what her words might mean to these two young women. "Or girls either for that matter!" She was sure her face was beet red at her major faux pas, which was why she was surprised when both Sei and Rei burst out laughing. "It's not that funny," she pouted.

"I think it's more like relief, Yumi-chan," Sei laughed loudly and waved her hand at the brown-eyed girl's words. Upon seeing Yumi's confused stare, she sobered a bit. "It's nothing for you to worry about," Sei went on to explain. "We were just wondering how inexperienced you might be. You've just answered the question. But don't worry, you're not the only virgin in the dorm. Both Shimako-chan and Sachiko-chan are just as inexperienced, if maybe a bit more knowledgeable about the subject than you are."

"That is somewhat of a relief," Yumi sighed, then remembered a particular section of the book she'd been reading that had confused her and decided to ask two of the more experienced girls in the group, especially since they seemed approachable at the moment, about what she'd read. "Um, then, if you don't mind," she blushed so hard that her ears turned bright red, "could you explain something to me?"

"Sure," Sei replied almost eagerly. "What can the experts tell you?"

"Um," Yumi stammered a bit, "c-could you tell me about, um, about mas-masturbation?"

You could have heard a pin drop in the sudden silence as both Rei and Sei looked first at Yumi, then at each other. Then it was their turn to blush to their hairline.

"Don't know."

"Never heard of it."

Yumi's sense of frustration at their obvious lies was palpable.

"Stupid sempais," she muttered under her breath.

-oo-

Yumi was once again standing in the backyard, her easel and canvas carefully placed in front of her and her paints and brushes sitting on a hard-backed chair she'd borrowed from the kitchen. _Need to buy a portable stand so I don't have to keep borrowing furniture_, she thought to herself as she added a slightly darker shade of green to one section of the grass where it sat in the shade.

Sachiko wasn't sitting beneath the sakura tree this morning, but all Yumi needed to do to recall the previous scene was to slightly close her eyes and allow her mind to replay the image. She even remembered the almost playful smile on those rosy red lips and wished that the impressionist style was detailed enough to capture that grin and the sparkle in her eyes. _Maybe that's something I could work on_, she nodded to herself, humming. _A cross between impressionism and realism, trying to bring out the best of both. I do need to start thinking about creating my own style and technique. I wonder if Sachiko-sama would let me play around a bit with it when I start her portrait._

"I don't see why not," a beautiful voice whispered over her right shoulder.

"Eeh!" she squealed in fright, her brush flying from her hand to land in the grass somewhere behind her.

"Oh, my," Sachiko giggled as her eyes twinkled, "I'm so sorry, Yumi. I didn't mean to startle you, but you seemed to be speaking to yourself and when I heard your comment I just couldn't help but respond."

"I-I didn't know I was speaking out loud, Sachiko-sama," Yumi bowed uselessly to the older girl, but was lucky enough to catch sight of her wayward brush and sped over to pick it up out of the still somewhat damp grass.

"I think I figured that out, Yumi," Sachiko chuckled again as she watched Yumi pick a stray piece of grass from between the tiny hairs of the brush before walking back to drop it in her can of solvent and grabbing another of similar size and density.

"My etiquette tutor told me it's not nice to laugh at other's misfortunes," the brunette pouted, picking up her palette again to gather more of the darker green she'd been working with.

"And she was quite correct," the older girl nodded her head in a slight bow as the grin slipped from her lips. "I apologize."

"No," Yumi shook her head quickly, not wanting this minor goddess to think she'd been reprimanding her or complaining in any way, "it's my fault for not paying better attention to my surroundings, and," she smiled shyly, "I once found and watched an old television show, I think it was called something like _The Three Stooges_, and I couldn't keep from laughing my head off at their silly antics."

"Slapstick comedy does have its fans," Sachiko grinned back at her, then lifted her hands up to straighten the scarf and collar of the uniform Yumi was wearing beneath an old apron Rei had loaned her. "Still, your tutor was correct. In most instances it is bad manners to laugh at others," she cocked her head to one side and looked straight into Yumi's eyes, making the younger girl's knees a bit weak, "but to be able to laugh at your own silly actions and have others laugh _with_ you rather than _at_ you, that, Yumi, is a wonderful thing."

It was said with such seriousness and compassion, yet also with such kindness, that the painter couldn't stop the shy smile from reaching her lips and eyes. "It was pretty funny," she chuckled.

"Yes, it was," Sachiko grinned back at her, then turned to look more at the painting on the easel than the artist with the brush in her hand, "but getting back to your earlier comment, I'm sure there are other artists that have experimented with a fusion of impressionism and realism. I know that there are also artists that fuse impressionism and photography, taking a photograph and repainting it in an impressionist style. But really, Yumi," she leaned forward to get a bit closer to the incomplete canvas, "when you really think about it, you've already started something a bit new here. The two paintings you've created in this series are _almost_ impressionism, _almost_ pointillism, _almost_ neo-impressionism, _almost_ luminism, and _almost_ realism, but they are _both_ Fukuzawa Yumi."

Sapphire blue eyes turned their inner sparkles on her, brighter than any gem she'd ever seen. "I'm excited to see what you eventually do with my portrait."

"Me, too," Yumi sighed starry-eyed, unable to take her gaze away from those perfect eyes, that perfect nose, those perfect lips…

She shook her head to get those thoughts to wander elsewhere for a time and thought back to an earlier question. "What brought you down here this morning anyway, Sachiko-sama?" she asked the school's princess.

Said princess held up a book. "I had thought of maybe spending some time reading again, but the grass is still a bit damp and I didn't want to get in your way," she chuckled again and glanced at the canvas, "although I'm guessing now that I wasn't really in your way."

Yumi's eyes widened at a sudden thought. "Stay here," she ordered the older girl and turned to run back to the dorm, yelling over her shoulder, "I'll be right back!" Yumi sped through the kitchen and foyer, running up the stairs as quickly as she safely could until she reached her room. Diving in she went straight to her armoire and opened the bottom drawer, pulling out the item she'd rushed to find. Spinning on her heel, she retraced her steps only slightly slower than she'd arrived only to find a grinning, laughing, raven-haired girl waiting for her. The laughter stopped abruptly when she saw what Yumi held in her hands.

"It's beautiful," Sachiko exclaimed softly, reaching out to touch the tightly woven blanket in Yumi's arms. It was of a simple geometric design, but the bright colors brought it to life. The background was a deep rust red. The designs were picked out in shades of coral, turquoise, white, golden yellow, and an orange that could best be described as akin to Mexican fire opal. "Oh, no! I couldn't! I wouldn't dare, Yumi!" she demurred when she realized what the young artist had in mind. "It's far too beautiful to lie on the wet ground."

"Please, Sachiko-sama," Yumi pleaded, bowing her head in supplication, "the painting needs it!"

A look passed through those dark blue eyes, a look Yumi couldn't read or understand quite yet since she'd only seen it once before when her mother once gave her that same look, but she was heartened by that one experience and prayed she'd read her right.

"All right, Yumi, if you insist," Sachiko gave in nowhere near as reluctantly as Yumi's mother had. Therefore the smile that lit up Yumi's face was twice as bright.

"Thank you!" she squealed delightedly, running over to the base of the sakura tree to spread the blanket out on the ground, turning expectantly when Sachiko didn't seem to be moving fast enough. "Quickly…the light!" she begged, finally seeing the somewhat befuddled Sachiko walk a bit faster before she very carefully resumed her position from the previous day, this time in the center of the blanket. "Perfect!" Yumi exclaimed, rushing back to her easel so that she could begin adding the bright colors of the blanket in so that they beautifully contrasted with the dark green of the Lillian uniform and the paleness of the small amount of skin that could be seen between Sachiko's white socks and the hem of her long skirt.

Yumi had no idea that somehow that morning marked an important turning point in Sachiko's life when she realized that there was almost nothing that this girl could ask of her that she wouldn't brave Heaven or Hell to accomplish.

-oo-

_Fifth Day at Lily Hall_

It was Monday morning, Yumi's first day of school…ever!

She'd spent the previous afternoon dragging the other first-year students in her dorm all around the campus, getting their directions and insight as to the school, its facilities and teachers, and the other types of students she could expect to have to interact with. She'd also gotten them to show her where she could find pianos. There was the one in the Music Room, of course, but there was also one in the auditorium that was used primarily for performances but could be scheduled for practice use if desired. There was also one in the old Lillian Chapel along with an ancient electronic organ.

The chapel was open twenty-four hours a day and, according to what Sachiko had told her at dinner the previous night, everyone was welcome to use the chapel and its facilities, including the piano and organ, on a first-come, first-served basis. However, the raven-haired beauty had also mentioned something cryptically about looking into maybe the dorm getting a piano of its own. If the strings were damped at night, that would be the best solution as far as Yumi was concerned. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but it was pretty hard not to when the one telling her the news gave her a smile and a wink at the same time.

Today's "classes" actually only consisted of homeroom in the morning, then the opening ceremony before they were excused for the day. Yumi was so excited that she wasn't sure she could handle much more than that easy schedule without somehow losing her cool; whatever cool she had, which couldn't have been all that much given the way the other girls in the dorm were laughing at the way she was bouncing around like a ping pong ball, or a hyperactive child on methamphetamines.

"I guess I have to agree with Yoshino-chan. She definitely acts like a cute little puppy," Youko chuckled softly, but not overly so which gave Yumi the perfect opportunity to turn her 'puppy dog' eyes on the senior. "Oh, don't look at me that way, Yumi-chan! I'm sorry!"

"Meanie," Yumi pouted. It was quite surprising how her ability to speak and joke with the other girls had blossomed within just the past couple of days. It must have been because she was becoming more accustomed to her new friends, or more trusting, even though there were still some things that she absolutely couldn't talk to them about no matter how trustworthy they might be. Just to get back at them she held her hands up near her chest, fingers slightly curled, tilted her head, widened her eyes, and went "nyah?"

"Oh, how cuuuuttteee!" Sei squealed, rushing over to glom Yumi in a tight hug and burying her face into Yumi's neck. "My cuddly little kitten."

"Sei-sama." The words were spoken in such a tone, and with such a cold menace, that everybody standing in the dorm's foyer getting ready to leave for class froze in their spots, their eyes slowly turning to the blue-eyed darkness that was staring down at them from half-way up the stairs. Even Yumi froze within the circle of Sei's arms. "Don't you have something better you could be doing?" The older girl stopped a moment to pull her face out of Yumi's hair, turned to look up at the visage of an avenging angel standing above her, and tilted her head slightly. When Yumi saw the twitch of a smirk touch those lips she almost shivered in fear.

"Nope, can't think of a thing, Sachan," she grinned widely. "Or maybe you wanted to be the one in my position? Hmm?"

Sachiko lifted her chin so that she could look down her nose at the older girl standing beneath her. "I haven't the faintest idea what you mean, Sei-sama," she spoke slowly and distinctly, the glowering menace still present in her tone. "I guess I simply assumed that you might want to at least get your book bag out of your room so that you don't forget it on your first day of classes."

Sei reluctantly glanced around, saw that everyone else was holding their bags or had them sitting at their feet; everyone but her. "Oops," she grinned. "I guess maybe I should just go get that."

"Yes, maybe you should," that chill tone came again, this time with a smirk and a glint in her eye that had everyone shaking in their slippers or outdoor shoes.

Everyone but Sei.

The older girl walked back up the steps, stopping briefly next to Sachiko to whisper something in her ear that had the blue-eyed heiress blushing deeply, but Yumi hadn't waited to hear whatever her reply might have been. Instead, she escaped out the front door with Yoshino and Shimako right on her heels and Rei only a step behind.

"Th-that was scary!" Yoshino stammered as she tripped over a brick and would have fallen except that Rei grabbed her by the elbow to steady her. "I've never seen Sachiko-sama quite that…intimidating before. I would have sworn there were thunderclouds and lightning bolts flying around her head."

"I was sure Sei-sama was going to get it," Shimako-san agreed with rapid nods of her head. "I've seen pictures of akuma and youkai that were less frightening than Sachiko-sama at that moment."

Yumi simply looked confused. "Is that what you all saw?" she asked. "I must have been wrong then."

"Why, what did you see, Yumi-chan?" Rei asked with a somewhat knowing smile. Yumi figured if any of them knew Sachiko it would be her best friend.

"Sachiko-sama was teasing Sei-sama," the pigtailed girl shrugged her shoulders. "I guess you could equate it to her putting on a Noh mask," she thought about it a bit before continuing, because there had been a hint of something else in those laughing blue eyes, almost like a challenge, but Yumi couldn't for the life of her figure out what she might be challenging Sei for, "or a mask within a mask," she shrugged again, "but there was no malice there."

Rei grinned and nodded. "You do see quite well, Yumi-chan," the dorm's Mother figure smiled at her. "Sachiko doesn't really have a mean bone in her body, but she likes to make people think she does sometimes. It's helped her get out of some sticky situations in the past. I've seen her turn grown men into quivering puddles of fear, but knew full well that there was nothing she would really have done to them." She then glanced at the other two first-years that were looking at her like she was crazy. "I saw two more puddles this morning," she grinned. "It was quite funny."

"If Sachiko-sama wasn't angry," Yoshino asked her new friend, "then why did you rush out of the dorm so fast?"

"Because I knew that whatever it was that Sei-sama was saying to Sachiko-sama was going to make her embarrassed and she wouldn't have wanted anyone to see her like that," Yumi explained – her eyes looking left and right inquisitively to take in the sights of a campus coming to life with all kinds of young women she'd never met – as if that should have been painfully obvious to anyone watching the pair.

Rei smiled and nodded her head, letting Yumi smile as well since she'd somehow read the situation correctly. For some reason it never occurred to her to question the fact that she could read Sachiko's expressions, even beneath her masks, just as easily as any book. She'd already been able to see somewhat behind the mask the second-year student wore, at least while painting, therefore this was likely just one more aspect of that. That neither of the other two girls had noticed, girls that had certainly known Sachiko far longer than the few days she had, didn't even occur to her.

Instead, she was now focused on getting to her very first class at her very first school. Butterflies were beating their wings furiously in her tummy even as her heartbeat quickened with nervous excitement. As the new girl in school, would she be accepted? Would she stand out or fade into the woodwork? Would she make any new friends? Would she enjoy the 'exciting school life' she'd fought so desperately for? There was nothing but to go forth and see or it was all for naught. At least she had Shimako and Tsutako in her class. That would be two friendly faces. Still, she felt that old timidity trying to rise to the fore once again. She wasn't sure she could hold it at bay this time, but was going to try her hardest.

A soft hand took hold of hers and she turned wide, surprised eyes to see Shimako smiling at her. No words were exchanged, but that small, warm hand in her own was the lifeline she very much needed at that moment. Yumi returned a shy smile and tried to think back to the last time anyone held her hand in friendship.

And couldn't remember a single instance.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

_Fifth Day at Lily Hall_

Yumi's excitement seemed to want to lead her off into multiple directions all at the same time. First there was interacting with the friends she'd already made in just her few days at Lillian. Next there was the prospect of meeting and making or being rejected by potential new friends. Then, of course, there was the nervousness at having to stand up in front of a group of strangers and introduce herself for the first time, saying a little something about herself in addition to her name, but not so much that it would conflict with the strictures she'd been given in order to even be here at school. And finally, but probably the most exciting thing that kept moving to the forefront of her mind and therefore pushing out all the other exciting things, there was the prospect of finally being able to begin her portrait of Sachiko.

That one had her shockingly wishing that the school day was already over and she could get started on her new project. The thought of seeing and painting the Dark Princess in a formal furisode had her nearly salivating with poorly repressed desires; desires and imaginings that had begun to invade her dreams at night. Maybe she shouldn't have been studying her book on human sexuality just prior to bedtime.

At least she had one meteorological phenomenon working in her favor these days. Spring had finally sprung, which meant that the days were getting longer once again. More sun meant more time painting and, for the first time in her life, the consideration of spending more time with real friends.

"How many hours can one girl squeeze into a day?" she asked herself with a soft giggle.

Click!

"Tsutako-san," Yumi sighed aggrievedly. "Do you ever put down that camera?' she asked without turning her head.

"Never," the photographer replied with a grin and another press of the shutter button. "You never know when an opportunity will arise." The grin evaporated as she seemed to think of something. "Well, except during the lectures," the dark haired girl sighed, allowing her favorite weapon to fall lightly against her chest from its strap. "The teachers are just far too strict," she pouted. "They don't understand the heart of a true artist."

"Some of us are here for an education, Tsutako-san," a girl that Yumi didn't know interrupted their conversation haughtily, throwing her long dark hair over one shoulder with a dramatic flair.

"You, Nanami-san? Don't make me laugh," Tsutako smirked and shook her head. "You're only here because Daddy Dearest thinks it'll look better on your marriage résumé. Have you even cracked a book since you started here?"

"Books are for plebeians who have nothing better to do with their time," the albeit beautiful but obviously poorly informed girl waved away Tsutako's words with a flick of her perfectly manicured nails. Yumi glanced at her own and realized she'd missed a few spots the last time she cleaned her hands from painting. There were flecks of green and pink paint stuck under her nails. She'd need to get her brush out again. "Some of us have important meetings to attend."

"Like with your hairdresser?" Tsutako snickered. "If I were you, I'd make another appointment." She picked up her trusty camera and snapped a picture of the girl. "Yup, just as I thought," the bespectacled girl said as she looked at the DSLR's small screen, "split ends. Oh, and your roots are beginning to show." Just to be sure, Yumi glanced at the snotty girl and, sure enough, the roots of her hair were much lighter than the ends. Did girls their age really color their hair? How odd.

"Well, I never!" the girl exclaimed, sparks flying like daggers from her eyes as she glared at the unrepentant photographer before storming off in a fit of pique.

"Well, at least not often enough," Tsutako snickered.

"Be nice, Tsutako-san," Yumi softly admonished her friend even as she tried to control her own amusement. The sudden change in those dark blue eyes and the girl's demeanor thus caught her by surprise.

"Yumi-san, we must be nice to those that are in turn nice to us, the Golden Rule and all that, but to those that would use and degrade you for their own entertainment, no, to those types there is no need to be nice."

"Ah, but I think you've got it turned around, Tsutako-san," Yumi said after a moment's thought. "The Golden Rule is essentially 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' The emphasis is on you being nice first and the other person reciprocating. The way you put it, the onus is on the other person to be nice first and only then would you reciprocate."

"So you'd be nice to everyone until they're not nice to you?" Tsutako asked wonderingly.

"Actually," Yumi blushed, "I'd probably still be nice to them even if they weren't nice to me. That way I can possibly do two things at once. I provide them with a positive role model and example of proper behavior while at the same time maintaining my own set of values by not sinking to their level. I understand when people say that trust must be earned, but I also understand those that say they will trust others until given a reason not to. Which is right and which is wrong, if either, is up to the individual to decide."

Tsutako couldn't help but smile at the honesty and innocence beaming out of the young girl's face, even if Yumi already knew that it was a naïve way of thinking. "I know some people, Harada Nanami-san for example," she indicated the girl she'd been teasing earlier, "who would think that someone with your philosophy was just asking to be walked all over and treated like a doormat." When Yumi was about to protest, she held up her hand to stop her, "That said," she continued, "your way does have a 'kinder and gentler' feel to it that I'd like to see come about someday, preferably during my lifetime…but I hope you don't mind if I don't hold my breath. I'd like to believe in the basic goodness in people, but I've seen too much avarice and greed."

"So young to be so jaded," Yumi chuckled and, when Tsutako started to take exception, it was her turn to hold up her hand to forestall the argument she knew was coming. "Not that you're wrong," she went on to add quickly. "I know that there is greed, and selfishness, and suffering, and injustice in this world, but there is also a lot of good, including good people. Won't you let me keep my childish innocence for just a little while longer?" she did her best to give the dark haired girl the same pouty, pleading eyes that had sometimes worked on her warden. She knew she'd done it right when Tsutako broke up laughing and had to take her glasses off to wipe her suddenly tearful eyes.

"Yumi-san, you're one dangerous woman," she gasped between guffaws.

"I have to admit, that's the first time anyone has ever thought of me as dangerous," Yumi giggled.

That day Yumi was introduced to another girl, a friend of Shimako and Tsutako, with light brown hair and brown eyes much like Yumi's own, by the name of Katsura. Katsura played tennis in middle school and expected to join the tennis club as soon as class let out for the day. Yumi envied the fact that the girl already knew what it was she wanted to do and even what club she wanted to join. Maybe the painter and musician simply had too many choices to begin with, but she'd hate to join one and then miss out on any of the others as well. All of the music clubs sounded interesting to her, and she hadn't even begun to scratch the surface with art clubs.

"That's the new girl at Lily Hall."

"I heard that dorm's full of lesbos and weirdoes; girls that can't fit in or aren't safe to be housed at the regular dorms."

"I don't know. Shimako-san seems nice enough, even if she is Shinto, but I wonder what's wrong with the new one?"

Yumi's ears pricked and started burning as she heard this. She turned her head as slowly as possible until she could see a group of three or four girls sitting on the other side of the room talking and sneaking glances in her direction. _Is this the beginning of bullying?_ She started to shrink into her chair before she felt a tender touch on her shoulder.

"Ignore them," Shimako told Yumi in a quiet, concerned voice. "Some girls just feel the need to gossip. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you, or anyone else at the dorm for that matter."

Yumi thought about it, then shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it's not like it isn't true to some degree for me," she admitted. "I mean, I am different. Too innocent, too sheltered, too naïve."

"Too likely to be mistaken for a doormat," Tsutako snickered.

"Yes, that too," Yumi giggled again.

"Well, personally, I like your philosophy on life, Yumi-san," Shimako told her with a caring and gentle smile. There was a serenity about her that really lifted Yumi's spirits and warmed her heart. The honey blonde did seem much like an angel to her; or what an angle might be like. "Maybe I'm naïve as well."

"No, you're just a couple of romantic dreamers," Tsutako chuckled. "Be sure to invite me to your next sleepover. Maybe we can have a dream party and invade each other's dreams."

"Only if you promise to behave yourself," Shimako giggled even as she blushed furiously.

"With you in my dreams? Not a chance, girly," Tsutako smirked in what Yumi thought might be called a lascivious manner. She then turned to Yumi and waggled her eyebrows. "You really need to see Shimako-san in her traditional hakama and haori. It's like seeing Amaterasu Ōmikami come down from Heaven."

"Wouldn't that make sense," Yumi smiled as she watched Shimako's blush deepen. "Didn't Mikos often act as the voices of the Kami much like the sibyls of Ancient Greece?"

"We don't do all that much channeling these days," the priestess laughed softly. "I have enough going on in my head without some Kami trying to tell everyone how great they are, although," she winked, "Inari Ōkami can be fun at times. He's got a great sense of humor. I mean, let's face it, anyone that has cute little kitsune as his messengers can't be all bad," she laughed softly.

The image formed before she could even think about it. Shimako dressed as a traditional Miko, sitting serenely in a brightly lit wooded clearing, her shamisen leaning up against a tree and her hand petting the head of a large nine-tailed kitsune lying by her side with his fierce head in her lap, his eyes closed in contented, peaceful sleep. Yumi shut her eyes to try to capture the vibrant image much like Tsutako used her camera. "Definitely luminism, the play of light and shadow," she whispered to herself, her lips inadvertently turning up into a grin and making the girls across the room wonder just what this odd new girl was smiling so happily about.

Her imaginings were interrupted by the sudden appearance of the homeroom teacher seeming to fly through the door with loose, airborne papers spinning and twisting in her draft.

"Stand, bow," someone called out. Yumi excitedly did as instructed, a wide grin on her face. Today was certainly a day of firsts!

"Sorry I'm late," the breathless teacher said as she dumped the stack of papers in her arms on top of her desk even as a couple of students were kind enough to retrieve the sheets that had fallen to the floor. "The meeting ran late and, oh, thank you so much," she turned to the two girls laying the recaptured pages on the teacher's desk, "now…where was I? Oh well, no matter," the short-haired sensei waved away her own question, spun on a heel and started writing in Kanji on the board. "My name is Yamamura Sayaka and I'll be the Peach class' homeroom teacher this year. I'm sure that most of you have been at Lillian for years having come up through the escalator program from the middle school, but for those students that might be new to the school, I'd like the old-timers to please be sure to lend them a hand."

The energetic Yamamura-sensei spun back and gave the class a wide smile. "And please take care of me as well." Dark brown hair cut in a bob much like Eriko's, brown eyes that sparkled with youth and vitality, a neat burgundy pant suit over a simple white button-down shirt, this was Yumi's very first high school teacher! She had to hold herself back from squealing, ducking her head to hide her enthused happiness.

_That's all I'd need, to make a fool of myself on my very first day!_ Yumi shivered.

Even before the pile of papers were handed out, Yamamura-sensei asked each of the students to introduce themselves. After the first few it almost became formulaic in that the girl would stand and bow, give her name, the year she'd first started at Lillian, any prior club affiliations, and end with another bow and a request for the girls in the class to take care of her. Nanami broke the newfound tradition by mostly talking about who her family was, what they did, and how important they were. By the end of her introduction, Yumi knew a fair amount about her family, but almost nothing at all about Nanami herself. It was as if she were only an extension of her family and not an individual at all. _How sad._

The closer the introductions came to her, the more nervous Yumi got until she was nearly shaking with fear of somehow screwing up and destroying her entire happy high school life within just a few precious seconds.

_Calm down_, she told herself sternly. _You can do this. You know what you can say and what you can't. You've practiced that part ad nauseum before you ever stepped foot on the campus. Just do it like you practiced. Think music, think painting…_

"Next, um, is it Fukuzawa Yumi-san?" the teacher asked, giving her a big warm and welcoming smile.

"Um, yes," Yumi stammered briefly as she got to her feet and bowed her head. Having the teacher say her name hadn't been part of the plan, but it didn't have to interfere either. _Just start!_ "Th-thank you, Yamamura-sensei," she swallowed just a bit to try to gather some saliva into her suddenly dry mouth. "M-my name is Fukuzawa Yumi," she said weakly, still far too softly for what she'd planned. Another swallow and she stood a bit taller, trying to speak up even just that little bit more. "Th-this is my very first year here at Lillian. It's probably a typical story. My guardians have business out of the country so I'll be in your care for the next few years." She bowed her head again and closed her eyes briefly to replay the image she'd just had of Shimako in the clearing, allowing the scene's serene imagery to calm her rapidly beating heart before she continued. "Personal hobbies include painting, piano, violin, and shamisen. I'm not sure which clubs to join, so if anyone has any suggestions I'd be very grateful for your advice." Toward the end, her voice was just nearly loud enough. "I'm looking forward to being with you all this year. Please take care of me," she finished with another bow and quickly took her seat, her face feeling like it was aflame with embarrassment. A soft hand found its way to her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. Yumi turned her face to see Shimako smiling and nodding. The relief that flooded through her would have washed away a kilometer of beach.

It was over. There hadn't been any derisive laughter. She hadn't made a complete and utter fool of herself. She hadn't screwed up to the point where she'd have to hide her face in shame for the next three years. In fact, as she glanced around the room, there were a number of girls smiling and nodding to her in greeting. Nanami's nose was still in the air, but Yumi hadn't planned on becoming everyone's friend. If she were to be able to have even just a couple of good friends, and not make any truly horrendous enemies, she'd count it as a win.

As her relieved and thankful smile swept the girls smiling at her, Yumi had no clue that more than a few hearts went pitter-pat, pitter-pat, pitter-pat.

-oo-

After that, the rest of the foreshortened day was both exciting as well as a bit of a letdown. The Opening Ceremony she'd researched was actually even more boring than she'd thought it would be. The high school's Principal, a real, honest to goodness nun in a habit, droned on and on about how critical these few years were for the girls if they wanted to ensure their proper places in society as the wives and mothers of important men. When she heard this, Yumi would have sworn she'd also heard Sei bark out a short, loud bray of laughter only to be quickly shushed by someone sounding quite like Youko.

The highlight was being able to sit between Shimako and Tsutako with Katsura sitting on the other side of the photographer, three of her newest friends. It was especially fun listening while Tsutako made up commentary under her breath as various people spoke. Yumi had had to bite her lip twice to keep herself from laughing. As soon as the ceremony was over, Yumi thanked her friends but told them she'd be going on back to the dorm to set up for her first sitting with Sachiko.

"Remember, Yumi-chan, don't run" Tsutako-san called out to her with a laugh, "can't let those pleats get wrinkled." Yumi slowed down a bit at the reminder of one of the Principal's admonitions, but the sound of laughter and giggling from her friends seemed to buoy her all the way back to the dorm.

Sachiko's room didn't get quite the light that hers did, so Yumi set up her easel and paints along with a new canvas that a woman from the art supply store had delivered the previous evening. By the time she heard the sound of footsteps and talking downstairs she was ready to begin. She was so excited to start that she ran out to the landing and stood at the top of the stairs to see the rest of her dorm mates trooping in from the opening ceremony. First were Youko and Sei, with the blonde third-year still laughing about the comment the Principal had made about wives and mothers while Youko slapped her shoulder and chided her for interrupting the ceremony with her ill-timed laughter.

Next came her three friends, Shimako and Yoshino with Tsutako right behind them. These three were closely followed by Rei and Eriko arguing about what Rei planned to make for lunch.

Rei gently closed the door behind her.

"I-is Sachiko-sama behind you?" Yumi called down the steps to the girls just heading toward the kitchen.

"Ah, Yumi-chan," Rei glanced up to see her little kohai smiling somewhat expectantly and looking a bit anxious. A sad look came over the older girl's face. "Sorry, but someone came to pick up Sachiko-san. I think they said something about a meeting with her father."

Yumi could feel her heart start beating harder even while her throat threatened to close up on her, any happiness she'd been feeling, any excitement about her first day of school, seemed to blow away in the face of this wind of change, but she did her best not to let her feelings show on her face. "Oh. Well, then, I guess it can't be helped," she nodded understandingly, her smile slipping she thought only a very little bit. "I'm sure whatever it was must have been important for him to need her. I, I guess…well, then um, I'm going to head back to my room to study a bit more," she added softly before turning and walking slowly back to her bedroom, the waiting easel and canvas standing there framed nicely by the open door. She was sure that it had to be something important that had come up suddenly. But, it wasn't like Sachiko had really even promised they'd begin today. Yumi had just assumed. _And you know what they say about assumptions_, she told herself with a sad smile. _We'll just do it some other day. There's no rush, is there? We have two years after all_, she sniffled, closing the door quietly behind her.

-oo-

"Damn," Rei sighed, shaking her head. "Couldn't it have been any other day?"

"I hate to take Yoshino's metaphor any further than it's already gone," Eriko sighed as she watched the so obviously desolate girl make her way to her room, "but now I know what a kicked puppy looks like when it doesn't know what it's done wrong. I didn't know Yumi-chan was looking forward to painting Sachiko-san's portrait so much."

"Then once again you haven't been watching," Rei ran a hand through her hair and down her face in frustration. "Every time the subject came up her eyes would sparkle with unrestrained anticipation. I know Sachiko was looking forward to it as well. You saw how angry she was when that driver showed up."

"I thought it was just her normal pissed-offedness," Eriko shrugged.

"Is that even a word?" Rei looked at her with wide eyes.

"If it isn't, it should be," the older girl shrugged again. "Either way, we now have a seriously depressed Yumi-chan on our hands. I doubt you even see her at dinner based on the way she looked just now."

"Great, just…great," Rei snapped, her hands clenching into tight fists. "Let's go tell the others. Maybe someone can come up with an idea."

"Don't count on it," Eriko warned her as the two made their way to the kitchen. "That puppy looked inconsolable."

-oo-

As soon as she knew everyone was occupied in the kitchen, Yumi slipped down the stairs and out the front door. The thought of doing anything with her paints made her nauseous. Even the image of Shimako with her kitsune couldn't entice her. Crying by herself in her room would only draw a crowd, so she was left with only one option.

She slowly made her way across campus to the Lillian Chapel.

A few girls were still making their way in ones, twos, or threes down the brick paths on their way to their dorms, the cafeteria, or possibly club rooms. None gave a second glance to a first-year wearing pigtails tied up with ribbons, therefore none noticed the small drips of moisture silently slipping from the tip of her nose, her chin, or running slowly down her neck to stain the collar of her uniform.

As quickly as she could, Yumi moved from the general path to the smaller one that led to the front doors of the hopefully empty Chapel. Listening and not hearing any sounds of movement or talking, she slipped inside and pulled the door shut behind her. Darkness engulfed the small entranceway leading to the nave, the only light coming from a small stained glass half-window high on the wall above the doors. The angle of the sun's slanted rays spread muted colors across the floor but did nothing to pierce the shadows on the sides and in the corners. It was warm. Even with the cold flagstones beneath her feet, there was still a warmth that seemed to permeate the small building. Just stepping in from outside felt like being wrapped in a blanket of peace.

Two sets of double doors led into the nave, both open and inviting and, from within, the light appeared much brighter, as if beckoning the lonely visitor seeking solace. Yumi took off her shoes, not bothering to search out any indoor slippers, willing to walk the silent stones in her stocking feet. Almost as if drawn, her body moved to the set of doors on the right even as her eyes continued to fill with tears to the point where all she saw ahead of her were crystalline shards of colored light. She made it to the first row of pews before her knees gave way and she fell to the floor, sobs of pure pain exploding from her throat which had finally opened to allow the full extent of her grief to escape now that there were no witnesses beyond Maria-sama and God.

She didn't know how long she cried, all she knew was that she cried until she thought there was no more water in her body, and then she cried some more, until her body was a wasteland of pain and longing. Only then could she gather the strength to move haltingly down the aisle to the chancel. Off to her right was what she had sought; an old electronic organ that Shimako had pointed out to her during their tour of the school. There was also a piano, but it was currently put away in a storage room. Yumi had wanted to try playing the organ anyway. Now seemed the perfect opportunity to see how different it was from a normal piano.

The power switch was easy enough to find, and as soon as the old vacuum tubes warmed up the church was filled with the haunting strains of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 14, _"Quasi una fantasia" _and popularly known as _Moonlight Sonata_. The first most famous movement, called _adagio sostenuto_, was called a lamentation by French romantic composer Hector Berlioz and anyone happening to visit the chapel that day would have felt her falling tears in the crystal clear notes. The second movement, an _allegretto_ of moderate tempo, had no business in Yumi's world at the time, so she jumped directly to the heavy, stormy third movement, _presto agitato_, which was described by American pianist Charles Rosen as "the most unbridled in its representation of emotion. Even today, two hundred years later, its ferocity is astonishing."

The organ, with its various instrument stops and pedal keys, allowed Yumi to pour every iota of her own roiling emotion into the piece. But it wasn't enough. Nowhere near enough.

The Beethoven concerto was followed by a Mozart fugue, which was itself followed by Mendelssohn's Concerto No.1 as her anger – whether at Sachiko, her family, or herself for her own stupidity she wasn't sure and didn't really care – rose and peaked only to once again crash to earth with Liszt's _Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H_ once she'd figured out how to properly use the pedal keys. As she slowly felt the miasma that had swamped her begin to lift, she switched to a simple playing of Gounod's _Ave Maria_ and wishing she had four arms so that she could accompany herself on the violin. Finally, more than an hour and a half after she had begun, Pachelbel's Canon in D rang brilliantly throughout the small chapel and loft.

_No more_, she vowed to herself. _Yuuki was right._ _I'm not cut out for this. There's too much pain, too much sadness, too many opportunities for a heart to be broken over the smallest of things. I know I'm innocent. I have absolutely no experience in the world outside my little Garden of Eden. But I'm not going to give up. I worked too hard for this once in a lifetime chance. I'll just have to learn how to take the bad with the good, because there has been good. Only a few days outside and I've already made friends, I've eaten food I'd never believed could taste so good, I've been to a sleepover. I've painted more in the past four or five days than I have in the past three months. It's worth a little pain…all right, _a lot_ of pain, to be here rather than cooped back up where I was, no matter how nice it was. A golden cage is still a cage._

_I won't give up, but neither will I open my heart so easily. It's bad enough without tormenting it even further with wishes and dreams that will never come true._

Yumi still didn't feel like going back to the dorm where she was sure the others would worry about her. Instead she lay down on one of the pews in the middle of the church and just stared up into the vaulted ceiling until her red eyes and puffy eyelids became simply too heavy to keep open and emotional exhaustion carried her away.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

_Fifth Afternoon at Lily Hall_

"Dammit! Where the Hell did she go?!"

Youko was ready to pull her hair out. After hearing from Eriko and Rei what had happened in the foyer and Yumi's reaction to the news that Sachiko wasn't going to be available to sit for the portrait she'd looked so forward to – that they both had looked forward to if Youko read her young kohai right – the girls had decided to give her at least a little while to calm down and maybe cry a bit. They had _not_ expected her to sneak out of the dorm and run off to only Maria-sama knew where.

"I swear, I'd tell you if I knew," Eriko snapped back as if Youko's words had been a direct attack. At present she was searching for the third time through the small storage room off the foyer where they kept out of season items like Christmas ornaments. Youko knew her fellow third-year and dear friend was taking this hard. She'd been one of the last to see Yumi and had recognized the pain and despair the poor child had tried so valiantly to hide. What she hadn't anticipated, what none of them had anticipated, was the lengths to which the girl would go to escape that pain.

After they'd done their first initial search of the dorm, everyone but Youko and Eriko had been sent out to search for their wayward friend. Rei and Yoshino had headed back toward the gymnasium and the various dojos and the sports complex beyond. Tsutako had volunteered to head to the school's admin and education buildings, and Sei and Shimako had headed out to scour the rest of the campus, including the school's small forest and lake. Since first and second-year students weren't allowed to have cell phones, Eriko had passed hers on to Tsutako while Youko had given hers to Rei. Sei, of course, had one of her own, and everyone knew that they were to call the dorm's main phone as soon as they found Yumi or heard any potential news.

Still, the wait was nerve wracking. Eriko's continued search of the dorm was her way of simply staying busy while the two of them waited and hoped that the small, pigtailed girl might eventually find her way home. But just because she was worried enough to start tearing up the floorboards didn't mean that Youko should take out her frustrations on her friend.

"I know, and I'm sorry, Eriko," she sighed, using her fingers to rub at her eyes. "It's not your fault. If anyone is at fault it's that stupid, greedy, selfish man that calls himself Sachiko's father. I know that Sachiko was really looking forward to today. You should have seen the steam coming out of her ears when that damned driver showed up all of a sudden with her father's summons. I swear she was ready to bite the poor man's head off even though he was no more at fault than she was."

"He was pretty damn close to prostrating himself," Eriko chuckled dispiritedly at the memory. There was no way she could really take any pleasure in the imagery given the end result was the disappearance of a distraught first-year that just happened to be not only a dorm mate and cute kohai, but a precious friend as well. Youko appreciated the attempt at humor even though it fell quite flat. Eriko threw a piece of tasseled fabric – Youko thought it might have been the skirt for their Christmas tree – across the storage room in a fit of temper. No matter what else you might say, the girl never held her feelings, or her thoughts, in. With Eriko you got exactly what you saw, a highly intelligent, sometimes crass, sometimes serious, sometimes funny, but _always_ honest young woman.

Youko had been standing in the doorway, leaning against the jam as her friend tore through the contents of the room looking for anywhere a smallish girl could hide without any luck. When the handheld phone she was holding rang it scared the bejesus out of her and it took a moment of fumbling to answer.

"Hello?"

"Not in the admin building or the school building," a panting Tsutako replied. It sounded as if she were running. "I checked every damned room, nook, and cranny where she might hide. I even looked under all the desks and in the lockers. I'm going to head over to the cafeteria and ask around. Maybe someone has seen her."

"All right, call me if you hear anything. Anything at all, you got that?"

"Don't worry," came the breathy reply. "I won't let you down. She's too important a friend to let her disappear on us."

It came as a surprise, but those simple words had more truth in them than Youko would have ever imagined. "She is, isn't she?" she chuckled softly. "Do your best, Tsutako-san."

"I will," the photographer replied before hanging up.

"No luck?" Eriko asked as she suddenly took a seat on a box labeled 'Tanabata.'

"That was Tsutako-san, and no, nothing yet. She's heading over to the Milk Hall to ask around."

Eriko put a hand on her chin and took a thinking pose, her eyes staring off into space. "I wish I knew more about her. It might give us an idea as to where she went off to."

"Well, she hasn't really been awfully forthcoming about her past," Youko sighed, moving into the room and moving a box out of the way so that she could sit on a mat next to her friend. Eriko's hand came around and pulled her head over to lie on her leg. "She's such an enigma" she sighed forlornly, closing her eyes. "So open, and yet so closed mouthed at the same time. I know she's hiding something, I just don't know what it is. It's frustrating."

"Especially to a natural born meddler like yourself," Eriko laughed softly as she ran her fingers gently through Youko's hair, trying to calm her. "You're such a bleeding heart, always having to stick your nose into places it doesn't belong just because you want to help others. You and Sachiko-san really are like sisters. You both want the best for people, but don't want to let anyone see your own pain and loneliness."

"Being out there is overrated," Youko replied softly. "Besides, I've got you guys."

"For now, but what about next year, and the year after that?"

"Next year will take care of itself," Youko chuckled, not really wanting to think about what kind of lonely future might be waiting for her, at least not today. "I've got to get through this one first, and that means finding lost little girls who went and got their hearts broken."

"Which one are you talking about? Yumi-chan or Sachiko-san?" the brunette laughed.

"Hmm, maybe both?" Youko answered with an awfully sad sounding chuckle. "They're both a bit lost, it's just that Yumi's a bit more lost today. Damn!" she sat up quickly, slapping her hand against her thigh. "Where the Hell is that girl?"

-oo-

Sei and Shimako were walking quickly down one of the many brick paths of Lillian, looking left and right and even up and down in the hopes of spotting a girl with brown eyes, likely red and puffy by now, and brown pigtails done up with ribbons wearing a Lillian uniform. Sei was currently on the phone giving Youko an update as to their fruitless search when Shimako noticed a dark haired girl waving at her from down one of the paths.

"Onee-sama," she grabbed hold of Sei's sleeve and pointed to the waving girl.

"Hold on, Youko," Sei said into her phone. "I'll have to call you back. Yeah, I'll let you know if we hear anything." Flipping the phone closed the two Lily Hall residents turned down the side path.

"Are you looking for Yumi-chan?" Shizuka Kanina asked as the two girls came quickly jogging up to her.

"Have you seen her?" Shimako asked anxiously at the same time Sei answered that they were.

"Let me show you something good," the black-haired second-year smiled at them, waving them toward the doors to the school's chapel. "Just be sure to be quiet," she warned them with a finger against her smiling lips. "I figured someone from the dorm would be by soon," she whispered as they moved slowly through the entryway and into the central aisle of the nave. "She's been here since around lunchtime. I heard the organ playing as I was heading back to my dorm and had to see who at this school could play Beethoven and Mendelssohn with such feeling. It was so beautiful, so passionate, I swear it made me want to cry, there was so much pain in every note. I couldn't imagine the kind of pain that could create such music."

"Yeah, well, she had a good enough reason I guess," Sei sighed as the three came abreast of one of the central pews to see Yumi curled up asleep, barely fitting on the hard, wooden seat. "She had a pretty bitter pill forced down her throat today; bit of a shot to the heart you might say," Sei sighed sadly, running her fingers through her shaggy hair. "It's called 'sometimes reality really sucks raw eggs'."

"Don't I know it," Shizuka smiled sadly as she looked at the sleeping girl. "You want to protect them from harm, from all the ills of the world, but sometimes wanting just isn't enough."

Shimako glanced up at the older girl, only a tiny bit surprised. "She got to you too, sempai?"

"I guess so," the brown-eyed songstress laughed, seemingly at her own folly. "I've talked to her once, just once, and yet I want to protect her like some mother hen."

"Rei's already got that position," Sei laughed quietly before slipping into the space between the pews. Shimako held her breath, but the taller girl bent down and picked up the sleeping child with such care and tenderness that all Yumi did was sigh a bit before curling up tighter and resting her head against Sei's breast. "But we'll take all the help we can get with this one if you're willing," she added as she side-stepped back out into the aisle.

"No problem, Sei-sama," Shizuka replied even as she gently brushed a hand against Yumi's bangs, moving them away from her closed, puffy eyelids.

Shimako looked between the three of them, Yumi, Sei, and Shizuka and felt a grin trying to break through. They looked so much like a family standing there holding Yumi as if she were their baby. A quick surge of jealousy rushed through her before she pushed it aside as if it had never occurred. There was no way she could ever be jealous of Yumi. Not even of Shizuka and the way she was looking at Sei; with a desire in her eyes that she did nothing to hide. Maybe she was jealous of her openness and honesty with herself? Or with her willingness to endure rejection on the off-chance that she'd be accepted? No, it was none of those things. And the feeling was gone anyway, so why try to analyze it. _Simply enjoy the scene while you can_, she told herself.

"Care to join us for dinner?" Sei asked Shizuka with a grin somewhere between a flirt and a leer. Shimako almost expected the jealousy to reappear, but instead a bubble of laughter caught her by surprise and she had to quickly squash it so she didn't wake her sleeping friend.

"Moue, Shimako-chan's laughing at me," Sei pouted cutely, which only caused Shizuka to have to stifle her own giggles.

"Thanks anyway, but a kohai of mine from the opera club is waiting for me. I'm late as it is, but I couldn't just leave her here like that," Shizuka grinned, "but thanks for the offer. I'll take a rain check if I can. I've heard the most wonderful things about Rei-san's cooking."

"Anytime, Shizuka-sama," Shimako answered for all of them. "We'd love to have you." And she was surprised at how much of a truth that really was. Enough of a truth that Sei, as they were walking back through the entryway and out into the waning sunlight, gave her a smarmy grin that made her blush.

"Yeah, what she said," the blonde quietly added, her grin widening to the point where Shimako knew she was in for some serious teasing later on.

The sunlight appeared to disturb Yumi and without thought, Shimako placed a hand over her eyes, resting it against Sei's breast to give herself something steady to lean on. Both older girls raised their eyes at that, but Shimako just pointed at the snuggling Yumi to make her point.

"Sure," Shizuka chuckled into her hand, her eyes twinkling with mirth born of what Shimako was certain was some kind of dirty thoughts.

"Rather take my place?" Sei smirked, actually pushing her chest out a bit.

"No thanks," the opera singer laughed in response, "but I'll take her place," with a nod toward Shimako and, by extension, the placement of her hand.

It was Sei's turn to blush.

And throughout it all, as they slowly walked back to the dorm, saying goodbye to Shizuka at the statue of Maria-sama, Yumi remained blissfully oblivious.

-oo-

Yumi awakened slowly, only to realize that she was no longer lying on a hard, wooden pew in the chapel, but upon a soft, warm bed with a comforter pulled over her. Gone were the washed stone walls and stained glass, replaced with, when she cracked open her eyes, white plaster walls and darkness outside her bedroom window.

"Déjà vu," she whispered to herself.

"I'm sorry," a soft voice answered her, even though she hadn't asked a question.

She knew that voice, it was the voice that brought pain and depression, a voice she really didn't want to hear just then. It was too soon. Her heart wasn't hardened enough yet to deal with what appeared to be a seriously contrite Ogasawara Sachiko. But she probably wasn't going to simply go away, so Yumi had a choice. Pretend it didn't bother her that Sachiko had missed their sitting? Tell her it hurt, but was all right because she was sure that Sachiko didn't mean to stand her up? Either way required a smile she didn't feel like giving. But didn't she just find out that life isn't always easy or fair? That sometimes bad things happened through no fault of your own? So putting on a smiling, unhurt mask should be easy, right? Unfortunately her brother had told her often enough that she was a horrible actor; that everything she thought or felt always ended up somehow showing in her face or in her eyes.

So instead she closed her eyes again and pulled the comforter up higher, covering her face and head. "S'alright," she whispered. "Nothing you could do about it. Family comes first."

The response she received wasn't the one she expected. A wry chuckle echoed through the room.

"Family? That's very funny, Yumi," Sachiko laughed sourly. "Family is the group of people that are supposed to love and cherish you, nor force you to be at their beck and call and treat you like a piece of property instead of a human being with your own wants and needs. Family isn't supposed to sell you like so much meat to the first man that comes along that has the aptitude to run the company. No, nor hide you away like you're some mistake and pretend you don't exist."

Yumi logically knew that Sachiko had been called away, but the anger in the older girl's voice seemed to indicate that it was even worse than that. And she'd heard about Sachiko's planned marriage of convenience and thought it unnecessarily cruel. Who would ever do that to their own child in this day and age? But that last one, about being some mistake and pretending you don't exist? She hadn't heard about this last bit. Was Sachiko speaking of herself again, or someone else? Did it matter? The older girl obviously had troubles of her own, and Yumi was likely only adding to them by acting so childish. She might not be throwing a full-blown temper tantrum, but what she _was_ doing was bad enough.

"No, they're not," she mumbled into her comforter. "And I'm sorry for being so childish. I wasn't thinking about your problems, only my own selfish desires."

"Sometimes you need to be a little selfish, Yumi," that same soft, alluring voice came again, this time accompanied with the scrape of a chair and, eventually, a sagging of her mattress as Sachiko sat next to her on the bed. "Although I don't take my own advice, obviously." Yumi felt a hand begin to gently stroke her back and side. "But I'm weak. My family is all I have. I know that my father and grandfather are greedy, selfish men that only care about their own desires and no one else, but they're still my father and grandfather. They're still my family, no matter how bad they might be."

Yumi wished desperately that she could tell her Dark Princess how wrong she was, that real family wasn't like that and that you had to grab at every chance for happiness that came your way, because all too often it could be taken from you as if without a second thought. But she couldn't. She'd promised.

_Yuuki-kun, Okasan, Otousan, what should I do? How can I help her to see?_

"Will, will you sit for me tomorrow, Sachiko-sama? After school, will you let me paint you?"

"Of course, Yumi," came the immediate, happy response. Sachiko even leaned over to give her a brief hug and a kiss on her hair. "I have been really looking forward to it."

Yumi let the comforter slip down just enough to allow her face to show, and she didn't have to worry about a fake smile, because the one she could feel on her lips was completely honest. "Me too."

If she couldn't say it in words, maybe she could say it in oils. This portrait had just become much more important to her than being a way to spend time with Sachiko. It was now a mission, and one she knew she couldn't fail.

"Me too," she repeated softly, turning her head just a touch so that she could place a soft kiss on the back of the graceful hand lying next to her.

Because she'd closed her eyes again, Yumi didn't notice Sachiko's blush as her soft lips caressed the older girl's skin.

-oo-

_Sixth Afternoon at Lily Hall_

"I'm sorry, Nanami-san, but I just don't have time to deal with you today," Yumi told her classmate even as she busied herself putting her things into her book bag. "Sensei assigned cleaning detail to you, so you're just going to have to suck it up and do it yourself." Yumi hadn't even bothered to turn and look at the girl she was speaking to, so she didn't see the flush of anger that suffused the dark-haired girl's cheeks. And because she was so focused on getting out of there and back to the dorm as quickly as possible, she completely missed the utter shock on Shimako's and Tsutako's faces along with Katsura's hideously poor attempt to keep from laughing as the mouse turned around and bit the lion on its tail.

"Well! I never!" the overly self-important girl exclaimed and stamped her foot in pique.

"So I've heard," Yumi grinned, not totally oblivious to the fact that she was acting completely out of character in putting her classmate in her place. "Maybe if you did you'd find people a bit more willing to help when you really do need help." Standing and putting the strap of her book bag over her shoulder, she finally turned to her antagonist and gave her a warm smile. "If you really need help sometime, please ask again, I'd be happy to assist. Today's just not good for me."

Her heartfelt offer threw the other girl for a complete loop and all Nanami could do was stand there with her mouth gaping open and her eyes wide with surprise. Then, before Yumi knew it, one word escaped those pretty lips.

"Really?"

"Really," Yumi grinned, reaching out to take the other girl by the hand. "I really would like to get to know you and maybe become friends, so if you'll give me another chance, maybe next week, I'd be happy to help."

As if she'd realized her blunder, the nose went back up in the air, but what came out of Nanami's mouth was certainly not what she'd planned on saying. "Th-then, next week. You'll help me?"

"Yes, please," Yumi smiled widely, giving the hand she held a squeeze before she bowed her apologies and nearly ran from the room.

Behind her, still standing awestruck in the classroom, her friends gawked at the scene they'd just witnessed.

[K] "Did she really…"

[S] "I think she did."

[K] "And did Nanami-san…"

[S] "I believe so."

[T] "Does the church still record miracles somewhere?"

[S] "I'm not sure, but you can bet this is going in my diary tonight."

[T] "Damn, it's too bad I didn't think to switch to movie mode. I could have captured the whole thing."

[K] "Three witnesses should be good enough. One's even a priestess."

[T] "Should we…"

[S] "I think Yumi-chan would like us to."

[K] "Isn't that…"

[S] "Another miracle."

[T] "Well dip me in chocolate and lick my toes."

[S] "You wish!"

[K] "You got the chocolate?"

[S] "Katsura-san!"

[K] "Hey! It's chocolate! Cho-co-late!"

[S] "Well...maybe. if it's just the toes..."

-oo-

Yumi was trying very hard not to get her hopes up again, but having a hard time of it.

Just like the previous day, she'd rushed back to the dorm just as fast as she dared move while trying to keep her pleats straight, changed into some paint-stained clothes in record time, and quickly set up her easel, canvas, and paints. She then glanced around her bedroom trying to decide just exactly how she wanted Sachiko to pose.

"Chair," she pointed at the hardwood desk chair, "and…pillow? Color will be dependent on the color of the furisode," she shook her head. "I'd much rather use the one from Sachiko-sama's room, that Queen Anne would make it so much easier, but, it'll have to wait." Looking at the window she imagined the trees outside as part of a tapestry or screen and nodded her head, satisfied she could pull it off. Moments later she heard the voices of the other girls returning from classes.

This time she didn't rush out to the top of the stairs to watch them all arrive. Instead she waited in her room, the door open, until she saw Sachiko walking up the last few steps to the second floor.

"I see you're ready," those rosy lips smiled at her and Yumi couldn't help but blush as she became the sole focus of those deep azure eyes.

"A-almost," the artist stammered only slightly this time, happy to see that Sachiko hadn't been called away again. "I was wondering if I could borrow your desk chair. Mine's a bit simple."

"Of course," Sachiko nodded briefly. "Why don't you come over to my room for a moment? I can show you the kimonos and furisodes that I currently have with me. If one of those doesn't suit, I'm sure I can have more sent over from the estate."

Yumi gladly followed the older girl down the hall and into her room. One quick glance at the chair and she knew she had to have it for the sitting, it even already had a cushion, but soft, slender hands and long fingers directed her eyes toward the armoire which Sachiko opened to display the more formal clothes held within. On a shelf near the bottom were three expertly folded kimonos. One jumped out at Yumi immediately.

"This one," she pointed at a dark, dark blue with what appeared to be a star print. It was like the fabric of the night sky had descended to Earth in silk form.

"Oh, that's one of my favorites," Sachiko smiled again, her hand moving to gently rub her fingers along the fine fabric. "If you'll give me a few minutes, I'll change and meet you in your room, Yumi. You can go ahead and take the chair with you."

"Y-yes," the younger girl quickly picked up the chair and nearly ran back to her room so as to not make any more of a fool of herself than she probably already had. It was really happening. Sachiko was really going to sit for her and let her, Fukuzawa Yumi, paint her portrait!

Even as she was setting the chair in place and moving her own desk chair out of the way, Yumi could feel the corners of her mouth stretching in a wide grin.

* * *

Many thanks again to those that have reviewed, followed, and favorite this story. My most humble thanks as well to DrYuriMom for being my reader, editor, and friend.

Take care all,

CX


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I do not own MSGM. All such honors belong to Oyuki Konno.

Thanks for reading (^_^)

* * *

Chapter Eleven

_Sixth Afternoon at Lily Hall_

A formal furisode kimono is known by its long, full sleeves that range from eight-five centimeters to almost one hundred and fifteen centimeters in length. When standing and your arms out to the sides, the drape of the sleeves can sometimes be long enough to almost touch the floor. Typically made from bright silk fabric with colorful patters, the furisode is the most formal of kimonos and is typically worn by unmarried women and usually only at major celebrations or parties. For some reason Yumi had no problems with the fact that Sachiko Ogasawara would have a dark colored furisode with a more staid design. Yet the non-traditional colors and pattern did nothing to diminish how regal she looked as she moved slowly down the hall and into Yumi's bedroom. Even the tabi she wore on her feet were of a harmonious color with the kimono.

"You really are my Dark Princess," Yumi murmured to herself, awestruck by the vision of loveliness entering her private domain. There was only one thing wrong. "Please, Sachiko-sama," Yumi bowed a bit lower than was usual for her, "if you would take a seat in the chair, I will ask if Rei-sama would be willing to assist us, that is, of course," she was suddenly a bit apprehensive, "if you don't mind her helping to put your hair up in a bun?"

Sachiko's long, blue-black hair currently hung straight down her back almost like a cape, and as lovely as it was, it was just wrong for this portrait.

"That's fine, Yumi," her Dark Princess smiled at her. "If you look on the top of my desk, you'll find a jewelry box that contains a number of different hair pins and combs that you can choose from. Take your time. Rei's put my hair up before."

"Then, I'll be right back," Yumi bowed again, unable to stop herself even when Sachiko seemed to find her sudden formality a trifle funny based on the giggles that followed her down the hallway. As quickly as she could she scurried down the steps and into the kitchen where Rei was already planning supper for her hungry troupe. "Sachiko…hair…bun…um, butterfly comb?" Yumi stammered, for some reason unable to even get out a coherent sentence. Lucky for her it didn't seem to matter, because Rei's smirking smile seemed to indicate her understanding.

"I know just the thing," the blonde grinned. Two minutes later Yumi held in her hand a hair comb. It wasn't a butterfly, but more of a stylized bird, and the stones weren't sapphire, but more of a London Blue Topaz, but in her imagination she could just as easily have been holding that sapphire studded butterfly. Rei gently took it from her again, closed up the jewelry box, and preceded Yumi back to her room and the waiting heiress and Rei's best friend. "Just give me a few minutes and we'll be set," the school's most butch looking femme grinned at her.

"Two curls to either side of her face," the artist in her suddenly commanded. "Not tight, just suggestive of curls." Quickly moving to her easel and paints, Yumi set about formulating the setting in her mind, missing the look of quiet surprise she received from Rei. The sleeves of the kimono were currently in Sachiko's lap, but that would have to change as soon as Rei was out of the way. They needed to be draped to either side of the chair, flowing onto the floor, with Sachiko's arms set just so on the arms of the chair. Her knees were already together, her tabi just peeking out from beneath the hem of the furisode. In fact…

Yumi grabbed her paints and didn't even bother to wait for Rei to finish. It was already too well ingrained in her mind just exactly the pose and setting. Not a throne in a palace, but a comfortable, much-loved chair in a formal receiving room, a triple screen behind her right shoulder, a calligraphy scroll on the wall to her left extolling the need for strength through compassion. This was going to take longer than she'd originally thought, but that was fine. It was perfectly in line with her new mission. Glancing up, Yumi saw not a sixteen year old Lillian second-year, nor even the sole heir of a great economic power. She saw Sachiko, not as she was today, but from a different era, or as she would be in the very near future if Yumi had anything to say about it.

"From the ground up," she mumbled to herself, her clean brush already dabbing at and mixing the colors of oil paints she'd squeezed out onto her palette.

-oo-

By the time they were called down for dinner, the sun was near to setting and Yumi felt as if she'd just been getting started. She'd gotten down a bare outline and some background, but the image she'd been staring at for the better part of three-and-a-half hours was firmly ensconced in her mind. The two girls hadn't spoken much at all during that time. Yumi had been so focused, and Sachiko had seemed to understand her almost frenetic need that the silence had done most of their speaking for them.

The pigtailed artist wiped the back of her hand across her damp brow, only now just realizing how sweaty and grimy she felt. "God, I need a bath!" she exclaimed, startling the seated, dark haired beauty into a spontaneous giggle.

"I think that can be arranged," Sachiko smiled, "but I wouldn't keep Rei waiting for it. You've never seen her angry before, but come late for a meal just once and you'll wish you hadn't," she laughed softly. "Where your art is of paints and canvas, hers is made from meat, vegetables, and rice. Both are labors of love and deserve our full, undivided appreciation." Sachiko slowly stood, stretching out the muscles in arms and legs that had been still for far too long. Yumi quickly dropped her brush in its can of solvent and rushed to her side to help her rise. "I'm not sure I even have time to change before dinner," blue eyes sparkled.

"Then don't," Yumi murmured, unable now to raise her eyes to look into the face of the woman she'd been staring at for the entire afternoon. "Let them see you as you are, Sachiko-sama," she continued in a soft voice. "I'd be honored if you'd allow me to escort you."

Because Yumi was looking down, she didn't notice the widening of deep blue eyes and the slight smile that creased luscious red lips. "The honor will be mine, Yumi," Sachiko answered just as softly, holding out one arm. Yumi slipped hers underneath so that Sachiko could gently lay her fingers against Yumi's wrist, and in that manner, with Yumi acting as escort, the two walked gracefully down the steps and into the kitchen.

The happy laughter and talk that had been filling the warm kitchen hushed abruptly as soon as they entered. Every eye turned toward the couple as mouths dropped open, eyes widened, or lips pursed in quiet appreciation.

"You look lovely, Sachiko," Rei smiled, somehow the least of those effected. "I've always liked that color on you."

"Thank you, Rei," Yumi's Dark Princess replied with a brief nod of thanks. One glance around the table and Yumi knew that these girls were seeing _her_ Sachiko for the very first time. She was still a work in progress, but even after just the one sitting and very little if any talk between them, enough of Yumi's vision had been passed on to at least set her Princess on the proper path.

"Very nice," Youko added with a darting glance in Yumi's direction. "Quite elegant. Sayako-obasama would be proud."

"Maybe it's my escort," Sachiko chuckled, turning to look down at the slightly shorter Yumi. "I don't think I've ever been treated with such kindness and respect."

"Then you haven't been escorted by the right person," Sei nodded approvingly at Yumi, forcing her face to flush as she finally realized the audacity of her action. "You deserve someone who will treat you properly."

Yumi felt, more than saw, Sachiko stand just that little bit taller at the older girl's words and couldn't thank the blonde third-year enough. She didn't respond, but neither was there need. It was a simple statement full of meaning that all could decipher. Rather than force Sachiko to continue standing beneath their gaze, Yumi stepped forward and pulled Sachiko's chair out for her.

"Milady," she bowed, her flush growing as she continued to pour oil on the fire that was her embarrassment, even if it was helping.

"Damn!" Rei cursed softly as Sachiko gladly and daintily took her seat, an almost shy smile on her face, "I knew I should have cooked the Medallions of Veal Marsala!"

"There will be other opportunities," Youko smiled knowingly.

"You're not going to make me dress up for dinner from now on, are you?" Yoshino pouted cutely, pursing her lips and puffing out her cheeks like a spoiled kid.

The laughter around the table was one of the most wonderful things Yumi had ever heard.

-oo-

Sachiko didn't understand it. She'd just spent nearly four hours sitting in a chair, unmoving, unspeaking except for a few questions and directions, allowing Yumi to place her arms, her wrists, her hands, and even her fingers in precise locations on the arms of the chair. The sleeves of her furisode had been very carefully and intricately draped over the arms of the chair and splayed perfectly across the floor out to either side as if they were wings at rest. She'd never seen it done that way, but it just seemed so right. Other than her arms and hands, Yumi had barely touched her, barely spoken to her, and yet they'd somehow communicated on some completely different level. Without saying a word, only in the placement of her body and her kimono, Yumi had informed her of the specific attitude she was to wear and the look she was to bear.

And it had all come so naturally. As if simply having Yumi expect it of her made it possible, or at least made her _want_ to make it possible. She was almost afraid to look into the artist's eyes to see what might be reflected there, as if she might not be able to live up to that image. It was daunting, frustrating, and yet, at the same time, she felt the determination and desire to try to live up to that image, whatever it might be, just so long as she could continue to see it in those deep brown eyes once she dared that first glance.

But it hadn't even stopped there. Even after the sitting, at Yumi's offer to escort her to dinner she had felt something, something new and unexpected.

_Respect_. Not for Yumi, although that was certainly there, but for herself! And pride, and honor. Fleeting feelings though they might have been, soon replaced by the camaraderie of the kitchen, but they had been there, and they had felt absolutely wonderful. She wanted to recapture those feelings.

Daring to finally look up into the face of the girl sitting across from her, who was now speaking so softly to Shimako, she wondered what it was that had so scared her earlier. It was just Yumi, her soft brown eyes a little bit timid even as she was finally, slowly opening up to the group of girls that wanted to befriend her. _Why was I afraid to look at her? What did I expect to see?_ No answer was forthcoming. Only one thing was certain; a feeling of expectation, of anticipation and exhilaration that was so rare for her she wasn't quite sure how to handle it.

-oo-

_Seventh Afternoon at Lily Hall_

Yumi took a deep breath and focused on the canvas in front of her. It was just after school and once again Sachiko sat across the room from her in the Queen Anne chair in her midnight sky kimono. The artist had found herself shaking as she lay in the western style bathtub the previous evening as everything she'd done and said came back to her in a rush, setting her nerves on fire to the point where the water was sloshing around in the tub from her shudders. The thought that she'd had the temerity to actually offer herself as an escort for the beautiful and regal Sachiko Ogasawara, even if it were only for a normal dorm dinner, had her nearly in shock. The only thing that kept the threatening stupor at the edges of her consciousness was the fact that it had actually worked! Even if it were only for a few minutes, Sachiko had _felt_ better about herself.

The first-year artist that found herself caring deeply about her Dark Princess didn't dare to let that one, small victory fade.

They were about a half-hour into their second sitting when Yumi finally broke the silence. "Sachiko-sama, if you don't mind my asking, What is your mother like? I remember Youko-sama last night saying that your mother would be proud of the way you looked and was just wondering what kind of woman she is?" _Is that too personal a question? Is it enough? Too much?_

"That's…a difficult question to answer," the blue-eyed model replied in a thoughtful voice. "You might consider her as weak because she allows her husband to have a mistress," she continued, her voice seeming to be trying hard to not show any emotion. Yumi's eyes lifted briefly to take in that countenance and saw the inner turmoil evident in those sapphire eyes, "but you have to understand not only her current situation, but the environment in which she was raised."

Yumi didn't say a word, but she allowed her eyes and a nod of her head to entreat Sachiko to continue.

"My mother, Ogasawara Sayako, was from a fairly well-to-do family, but not one of the very best. Her father worked extremely hard to provide for his family in the best manner he could," a small smile appeared on her lips in her remembrances. "My grandfather would say that he was weak, that he cared too much about his employees and his customers. My father would be a bit more forgiving in his own estimation of my maternal grandfather, but even he would admit that Grandfather didn't have the necessary shark-like mentality to take his company to the next level. But my mother and grandmother loved him dearly for the very reasons that my father and his father denigrated him as being too weak to survive. I also have to say that my grandfather didn't have that killer instinct, but I too loved him dearly."

Yumi nodded again to show she was listening, happy to see the expression of love and devotion on her Princess' face.

"Eventually, my maternal grandfather's business ran into trouble because of his caring. At the time, his daughter was a third-year student here at Lillian while my father was a second-year at Hanadera University." A look of pride overshadowed Sachiko's features. "It was my mother that set her sights on my father. She knew she was really the only 'asset' her father had and was determined not to sell herself for anything less than the best price possible, so she contrived to meet my father at a party that one of her sempai at Lillian University was throwing. I wouldn't say it was love at first sight, but she'd done enough research to at least entice my father's interest. You see, her father's company filled a niche that the Ogasawara group of companies had not yet entered, and even though it wasn't the very best or even third best of the lot, it was sufficiently strong that the right amount of financial support could easily make them the best…under different management.

"My mother slowly but surely, without her parent's knowledge, essentially brokered the deal where she would become the wife of Tooru Ogasawara, my father, and her father's company would receive the financial backing and expert advice necessary to take it to new heights and become a wholly-owned division of the Ogasawara Group."

"So," Yumi nodded knowingly, "your mother used her position as a mere pawn on the chessboard of business to promote herself to the level of a Queen. I can see why you'd be so proud of her, Sachiko-sama."

The look Sachiko gave her was the one she'd anticipated; a combination of surprise that Yumi would understand the sacrifice her mother had made for her family – the reason that Sachiko was so proud of her – but also the barely suppressed pain that she'd had to make that sacrifice in the first place; that she'd sold herself into a loveless marriage.

"You do know, Sachiko-sama," Yumi continued without lifting her eyes from her canvas, "the rules of chess? That a lowly pawn, if it can somehow find a way to move to the far edge of its rival's side of the board, can be 'promoted' into a higher piece that is already off the board. It could become a knight, or a rook, or a bishop, or even the _Queen_. It's truly amazing that the lowest, weakest piece on the board, the piece most often sacrificed for little or even no gain, if it moves very carefully, if it is intelligent and make its moves wisely, can actually become one of the strongest pieces on the board." Sachiko's eyes were so focused on her that Yumi felt that old thorn of timidity trying to poke through her own calm veneer of confidence, but she shoved it away. This was far too important.

Would Sachiko see the connection? Would she realize that her father and grandfather were selling her for far too cheap a price? That she was worth far, far more than their simple minds could contemplate?

"I'm sorry if it causes you pain, Sachiko-sama," Yumi said softly, her concern clear in her voice and tone, "but I know about your own situation, the arranged marriage with the Kashiwagi clan's Suguru-kun, and I'm sorry that you've been placed in such a cruel position." She shook her head, using the movement to steal a glance at her model and happy to see that she had Sachiko's full attention. "If it were me, if I were your father or grandfather, and I had to sacrifice my only daughter on the altar of business, I would certainly choose someone much more worthy of you."

"Oh?" Sachiko commented, and there was actually a bit of a smile in her voice. "And who would you marry me off to, Yumi?"

"That's easy," she answered immediately, lifting her brush from her canvas so that she could stare directly into those too-blue eyes. "I'd find someone that would honor you and respect you for not only what you bring in a business sense, but for yourself as well. They wouldn't be from some branch family looking to finagle their way into the seat of power. I'd find you a true knight, one that could see and love you for who you are, not for the power and riches that you bring with your dowry."

Sachiko was actually chuckling softly, but it wasn't the happy sound that Yumi could have hoped for.

"If only you could, Yumi," she sighed. "If only you could. There are no knights in shining armor anymore. There are only ruthless men in business suits who seek only to increase their own power and glory."

"I disagree," Yumi said quickly, her eyes looking near the top of her canvas so that she could see the look of surprise she'd earned from her raven-haired model. "I know that there are still good men out there, men who are so astute in business that they not only can afford to care for their employees and customers, but have made it the central pillar upon which their business has thrived."

"Who?" came the shocked, quavering question.

But instead of answering, Yumi glanced up and gave her one of her most enigmatic smiles; the one that said 'I know something you don't know.'

"I think I'll save that little tidbit of information for another sitting," she laughed softly, and then a little bit louder when Sachiko did a fairly decent impression of a pouting Yoshino before she too began to chuckle softly. "I will say that the person I'm thinking of is both closer than you think, and yet also quite far away, especially in your patriarch's estimation."

"Not a foreigner?" Sachiko wheedled coyly, getting into the spirit of the game Yumi was playing.

"No, not a foreigner," Yumi laughed, her eyes twinkling for a moment before the brown darkened significantly. "Remember, Sachiko-sama, not everyone in the upper echelons of the business world is as ruthless as people sometimes think they are," she added, her anger at this coming through probably a bit more than she'd intended.

"And some are even more ruthless than they appear to the rest of the world," Sachiko replied in kind. "At least my father and grandfather don't hide their greed and avarice behind false smiles."

_There it is again_, Yumi sighed resignedly.

"I'm not saying that there aren't those types out there as well," she admitted, "but not everyone. It's also not wise to base decisions on improper assumptions."

Yumi dropped her brush into her ever present can of solvent, the sitting – and today's part of the overall mission – now almost complete. She moved her easel so that the painting faced the wall, away from her model. "I will make this promise to you, Sachiko-sama. There is someone out there that can honor, and respect, and love you. Someone who would be eminently more acceptable than Kashiwagi Suguru-kun."

Sachiko stared at her and Yumi made sure this time to meet those searching eyes to show that she meant every single word she'd said before her confidence waned once again.

And finally she saw the spark that she'd known had been missing from this wonderful, caring young woman.

The spark of hope.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

_Tenth Day at Lily Hall_

"Darn it! Why can't algebra and trigonometry be as simple as playing the piano?" Yumi fumed dispiritedly.

"Keep squeezing, Yumi-chan," Rei laughed. "That stress ball in your hand isn't just for building up your finger and hand muscles."

The pair were in the kitchen on this early Saturday afternoon. Even though it was only a half-day for school and thus the number of hours available for painting were a few more than a normal school day, Yumi and Sachiko were taking a break from their sittings so that the first-year could spend a bit more 'quality time' with her mathematics text book. Yumi thought that the sessions had been coming along quite nicely, even if the discussions they had sometime frustrated her to no end. It had become readily apparent once she'd eventually connected the dots from various direct or overheard comments that her new friends were seriously misguided when it came to her situation; not that she could really do anything about it given that she'd pledged her word. In fact, their misunderstanding actually worked to her benefit at times, but at others she felt as strongly about throwing the heavy stress ball Rei had given her to exercise with as she did right at this moment.

"But who really cares how long it takes train A to get to the same point as train B if they're moving in different directions at different speeds?" she griped loudly. "I mean, it's not like you're going to jump from one train to the other just to go back to your starting point! That's idiotic! And dangerous! If they're meeting another train, why don't these people just look at the train schedules?!" Rei's continuing laughter at her frustration wasn't helping her mood in the slightest.

"I guess a musical prodigy and artist really doesn't need to worry about things like that," Sei snickered as she walked into the kitchen. "But for those that are looking to go into business, accounting, or the sciences, those types of ratio calculations are routine."

"But as you say, I'm an artist, not a train engineer!" Yumi pouted.

"Although it's not a distance equation," Rei piped up, still smiling, "it's still important to learn about ratios." She held up the slip of paper that contained the recipe for the brownies she was making so that Yumi could see it. "This recipe is designed to make enough brownie batter for four servings, but we have eight people in the dorm and all of them want to eat tonight's dessert. That's a ratio of eight-to-four, or two-to-one, so all of my ingredients need to be doubled in order to have enough brownie batter to satisfy everyone."

"Well, maybe not Eriko or Yoshino-chan," Sei laughed softly. "I swear those two have black holes instead of stomachs when it comes to sweets. You better triple the ingredients, Rei," the blonde laughed.

Despite her current feelings toward mathematics in general and trains in particular, Yumi luxuriated in the warm feelings of friendship that permeated the small kitchen. It was so different from the way she'd been forced to live up until now. _Not that I would have changed anything,_ she thought dryly, _except maybe to have been able to come to school a couple of years ago instead of having to fight to get here now._ Yet even there she knew she was being a bit childish. It was, after all, for her benefit that she'd been raised the way she had. With a long sigh she turned to stare out the window, math and trains forgotten as memories, both wonderful and horrible, intruded.

The worst was the image of a large fan-shaped harisen being swung maliciously in her direction. Yumi was still embarrassed about the incident by the front door when she'd become so terrified of being hit. One of her early music instructors, she thought she'd been about five or six, had been of the old school and wielded his harisen like a bat for every mistake or complaint regarding her practice sessions. It had gotten so bad that she was scared out of her wits to even sit down at her piano, not knowing when the next blow would fall. The interesting thing about harisen's is that they rarely leave any visible marks. It was only after he'd hit her hard enough to knock her off the bench and into a nearby piece of furniture that the bruises started appearing.

One look by her warden at those awful bruises had been enough to set Yumi off on a crying jag, apologizing through her wailing sobs that she was sorry she wasn't good enough. Her music instructor was let go that same day, and her father had made sure that the man would never again work with children, but it had taken another four months before the budding pianist was able to sit and play the piano again.

So when Eriko had first yelled and then slammed the door right next to her head, waking her out of a sound sleep, it was as if she were having a flashback to those horrible, pain-filled days. All she could think of was that she'd done something wrong and was about to be beaten again. Only Rei's and Shimako's calm voices and assurances had been able to eventually break through her panic.

Somehow, from that one incident, the girls in her dorm had assumed that she'd been repeatedly abused as a child. Not only that, but that it must have been her parents that were the abusers. Her new friends couldn't have been further from the truth if they'd tried. She'd have to set them straight one of these days, let them know that Yumi Fukuzawa wasn't the broken little girl they thought she was, but not just yet. Not when she could potentially use their misunderstanding to help someone that truly was broken.

"Yumi-chan, are you all right? You spaced out there for a bit?" the older blonde girl asked light-heartedly.

"I'm fine, thank you Sei-sama. Sorry to worry you," Yumi smiled in response to the carefree lesbian's question. "Just procrastinating a bit," she grinned and waved a hand at her textbook and worksheet.

_Carefree. Yes, Sei-sama is definitely that. And if something doesn't change it could be the death of her. I wonder if I can kill two birds with one stone?_

Yes, Yumi decided. It was time to talk to Eriko.

-oo-

"I assure you, Eriko-sama, I wouldn't be asking if it weren't important," Yumi pleaded cutely even as her eyes tried to convey that very importance she was claiming. Looking into that earnest, determined face, Eriko realized her pigtailed kohai wasn't going to be put off.

The two girls were in Yumi's room, Eriko having been invited in ostensibly to listen to Yumi play her shamisen, but even on her worst day the third-year could see that Yumi was using the instrument to bolster her courage. So, with a sigh of resignation, Eriko decided to answer the question posed to her.

"It was last year," she said, her voice somehow blending into the music softly filling the room as she leaned back against the wall to make herself more comfortable. "Sei lost her heart to another second-year student by the name of Kubo Shiori, and when I say she lost her heart I mean that in the worst possible way. To Sei, Shiori-san was her be-all-end-all, her _raison d'être_. Both Youko and I tried to warn her – well, to be honest, more Youko than myself, but you probably know why." She looked over to see Yumi's nod of agreement. Youko may think she hid just how much she loved Sei, but anyone with eyes could see the truth. "We tried to tell her that she couldn't live her life only for one person, that she needed to live for herself first, but she just wouldn't listen to us.

"I don't know if Sei really didn't know, or if she was simply in denial, but pretty much everyone knew that Shiori-san was planning on going into a convent immediately after graduation. There was no future in loving her, but Sei just couldn't see it. And when she did find out," she blew out a harsh breath, "you could see the mushroom cloud from kilometers away. Sei just lost it. She gave up on everything; Shiori, schoolwork, friends, nothing mattered to that girl. The school counselor's tried to help when her grades took a nosedive, but she blew them off just as easily as she had us. She didn't care anymore. Nothing mattered.

"It eventually took Shiori-san herself to somehow make Sei at least appreciate her friends again and take an interest in her grades. I think the two of them actually got together again, briefly, but around Christmas last year Shiori suddenly decided she couldn't handle it anymore. Her heart and her conscience, Sei or the church, were too much at odds with each other. One day she simply left the school and never came back. It was only later we found out that she'd decided to enter the convent early.

"Once again, Sei was devastated, but this time she didn't seem to give up completely. Her grades remained high and she smiled for all her friends." She looked over to see if Yumi were still paying attention and noticed that not only were those brown eyes riveted on her, they were nearly filled to the brim with unshed tears. "What Sei didn't know was that those of us that really know her and care for her could easily see through the mask she wore. Her lips might have been smiling, but her eyes were dead. She'd given up once again, only going through the motions to keep the teachers and counselors off her back. When she came back to school at the beginning of this year she'd cut her hair and started playing the 'happy 'bian' role you see every day. Youko and I think she actually has gotten a little better, especially since you joined us, but we can still see that pain and apathy when we look closely.

Yumi's fingers had never stilled on her shamisen, although the songs she played had become more melancholy. Her eyes, on the other hand, showed a young woman deep in thought, the cogs of ideas turning swiftly.

"What are you thinking, Yumi-chan?" Eriko asked softly, her fear of what the answer might be doubling when the young girl chuckled.

"I'm thinking it's going to take one really, really big rock, Eriko-sama," Yumi mused aloud, her words turning Eriko's fear into reality.

-oo-

Evening eventually rolled around. For the rest of the dorm's residents, the highlight of the day had been the arrival, placement, and tuning of a Model K-52 Steinway & Sons upright piano. This newest, three and a half million yen resident was set up against the far left wall of the living room and became the focal point for the girls after dinner. It actually looked a bit odd since the girls were standing in a semi-circle with the piano at its center, every eye taking in the sight.

"Please play something for us, Sachiko," Youko asked quite politely, but the look in her eyes as she turned to regard her favorite imōto wasn't really giving the Ogasawara heiress any choice.

"Yes, Onee-sama," Sachiko smiled indulgently, then turned to look at Yumi, "but only if Yumi also agrees to play a few songs for us as well."

"Oh, yeah!" Yoshino clapped.

Yumi didn't say a word, but she nodded her head enthusiastically, eyes wide with delight as she stared at the dark mahogany case of the brand new Steinway. Sachiko settled herself on the bench, the fall normally covering the keys already open. She tilted her head a moment in thought before a small smile creased her lips. Long, slender fingers settled themselves above the keys, resting lightly against the hard polymer surface for a short moment, familiarizing themselves with the touch, before Sachiko jumped into the first movement of Brahms' Piano Sonata No. 3. Loud, heavy chords inundated the room for a few bars, running nearly the full register, before the piece settled into a slower, softer, but still heavy sound. The _allegro maestoso_ alternated between the loud _fortissimo_ and soft _piano_, rising and falling and pulling the listener along with its changes, never letting go.

Yumi thought it was absolutely wonderful. Sachiko had a real, if still mainly unexplored gift. Technically she was flawless, but the piece was still emotionally lacking in sections. Yumi could do better, was better, and thought for a moment that she should probably hold herself back when it came her time to play. That notion lasted only briefly, however. _If I hold myself back I would only be disrespecting Sachiko's own, not insignificant talent. Maybe even here I can help her along. The mission needn't be limited to while painting._

With that thought, Yumi quickly left the room and rushed up the steps. She heard a few comments regarding her abrupt departure, but they'd see soon enough. Entering her room she went directly to her wardrobe and dug into the bottom until she pulled out her violin. Just as quickly she returned to the living room. Eyes of grey, brown, and blue widened in sudden recognition and delight. Sachiko's Brahms was just ending.

"Chopin? Nocturne?" Yumi stuttered.

"C Sharp Minor?" Sachiko grinned as Yumi nodded her head joyfully.

"I – I've never done a d-duet before on violin," the pigtailed violinist stammered only momentarily before the thrill pushed her timidity to the side, "but I'll follow you, so," she bowed, "please take care of me Sachiko-sama."

For the next four plus minutes, Yumi was in Heaven. Even with her eyes closed she felt as if she and Sachiko had somehow become one with the music and with each other. Her bow and fingers flowed over the strings of her instrument with less effort than she could ever remember. But even better, she was able to feel Sachiko joined to her, elevating them both far above their tiny individualism. Instead of the violin and piano being additive to each other, they were somehow multiplied into a small force of nature; the whole being far, far greater than the sum of its parts.

And that combination wasn't lost on their audience. Knees suddenly went weak, forcing Youko and the others to quickly find their seats before their butts landed on the floor as they were transported along with the performers, floating in the waves of notes, rising and falling and being lifted up again. As they came toward the end of the piece, Yumi's lips opened without volition.

"Opus 9, No. 2." She didn't have to open her eyes to understand that Sachiko had smiled again and nodded. Almost without a break, one piece flowed directly into the next.

This piece was much more violin-centric, so it was Sachiko's turn to follow along with Yumi's direction for the next six minutes or so. The younger girl reveled in not only the music, but in her ability to manage the emotions flowing between the two performers. _Not an accompanist, Sachiko; equal partners, each guiding and supporting the other to achieve greater heights._ A little grin formed on her pink lips as she saw the older girl's spine straighten a little. If the first half of the piece flowed and glided upon the waves, the second half soared into the sky as two became one.

"Sit," Sachiko ordered her with a wide smile as the last few notes resounded between the four walls of the living room. "And if you don't mind," the smile turned almost a touch predatory as she took Yumi's violin from her hands, "I'll borrow this for a bit."

"Yes, Sachiko-sama," Yumi responded with a grin of her own before taking a seat on the piano bench.

"Beethoven, Violin Sonata in C Major," the blue-eyed girl stated without a single qualm that Yumi would know the intricate piece. "You're not the only one that can play, Yumi," she smirked.

"I wouldn't have dared," Yumi returned her smirk-for-smirk. "Just see if you can keep up," she challenged her beautiful sempai.

"Bring it," Sachiko beamed mischievously, and for the next twenty minutes or so, she did. Yumi's playing and supporting of Sachiko continued to lift the older girl's self-esteem up and up, higher and higher, until there was nothing left above her but open sky and freedom.

_Taste it, savor it, never settle for anything less. You're worth it. You're priceless. Never sell yourself short_, Yumi's playing told her. And Sachiko drank it up.

-oo-

_You go girl_, Eriko grinned.

Of all the residents of Lily Hall, Eriko was the most knowledgeable about music, second only to Sachiko. She'd heard the raven-haired second-year play on multiple occasions and knew her to be quite capable, but little Yumi was lifting her to a completely different level.

Ever since she realized that she was starting to miss the little cues about relationships that had always been second nature to her, Eriko had made it a point of paying closer attention to her friends and their friends. Tsutako Takeshima, for instance, came across as a total hentai at times, but she was actually simply a very shrewd business woman. She had found a niche of unfulfilled desires in the students at Hanadera and gone about doing what she could to fill that need while making quite a tidy little profit for herself. But the third-year had also realized that likely every bit of that profit, despite her claims to an addiction to mocha lattes, went into supporting her larger desire to become a professional photographer, preferably before she graduated college.

Similarly, the school's opera diva, Shizuka Kanina, had something odd going on. She had been offered a full scholarship to one of the very best musical conservatories in Italy the previous year, yet she'd turned it down at the last minute with the excuse that she wanted to shoot for a different conservatory in Paris, France. Even if that were the case, surely it would have been easier to transfer from the Italian conservatory to the French conservatory rather than losing a year of education and training by staying at Lillian Girls' Academy. Fishy just didn't adequately describe the irrational logic that went into that decision. And though she flirted a good game, Eriko just couldn't see the singer going after Sei. Shizuka could see how much Youko was in love with Sei – Hell, everyone could see that – and Eriko just didn't see Shizuka as one to get in the way of another girl's love; certainly not for what would essentially be a short, physical fling. So why did she do it? Why did she stay at Lillian an additional year? It just didn't make any sense, and if there was one thing Eriko loved it was a good mystery.

And the biggest mystery was currently sitting at the piano playing Sonata No. 2 in G by Maurice Ravel.

Fukuzawa Yumi. First-born child of Yuichiro and Miki. Onee-san to younger brother Yuuki. Hidden away from public sight for fifteen years, unacknowledged, home tutored, musical and artistic prodigy. Possibly abused. Naïve and innocent. Timid to the point of being nearly mute when she'd first arrived at Lily Hall, yet that same timidity disappearing as if by magic when she's painting or playing an instrument. And from all appearances nowhere near as introverted as they'd all originally thought. Not only that, but she seemed to be doing her utmost to raise Sachiko's confidence and self-esteem – in essence, her sense of self-worth – through the two mediums in which Yumi is by and large an expert. A truly caring soul.

So, if she had been hidden away as if she were some horrible mistake, why was she here at Lillian? Why would a child never once exposed to the harsh cruelty of the world, kept as pure as an unsullied flower, suddenly be allowed to move about in public, completely free even if it was the rarified and uniquely unrealistic world of Lillian's Garden of Maidens? It wasn't like people wouldn't be able to figure out who she really was. A small group of high school girls had been able to put two-and-two together and get four within only a couple of days. That didn't sound like "guardians" set on keeping their mistake a secret.

If Shizuka was a mystery, Yumi was true conundrum.

And that conundrum was currently empowering Sachiko as best she could. Why? Had she also realized that the only person that could get the Ogasawara heiress out of her arranged marriage was Sachiko herself, and that in order to be able to do that, Sachiko needed to value herself as much more than simply the daughter of her father? That family loyalty only stretched so far? Or was it something else? Something more? Was it possible that Yumi was playing an even greater, deeper game than Eriko could comprehend?

"Curiouser and curiouser," she whispered softly, not wanting to interrupt what was turning into a virtuosa performance.

-oo-

Standing outside Lily Hall, leaning against one of the many gingkoes surrounding the old dorm so that she could better enjoy the music, at least from afar, Shizuka Kanina found herself unable to keep the grin from her face.

Click.

"You don't have to hide, Tsutako-san," she laughed softly. "Do yourself a favor and put the camera away for a bit. Come and enjoy the show."

"Is that Sachiko-sama?" the bespectacled photographer asked as she stepped out from behind another tree and moved so that she could lean on the other side of Shizuka.

"Yumi-san is on piano. Sachiko-san is playing the violin," the older girl responded quietly. Seeing the widening eyes behind those rimless glasses she nearly giggled, but forced herself to remain still so that she wouldn't possibly miss a passage.

"She's…" Tsutako whispered in awe.

"She is, isn't she," the older girl nodded.

Neither girl said another word and eventually went their own way when the performance was complete, their thoughts running down completely different paths even though they were both thinking of the same surprising young girl.

-oo-

Youko sat on the sofa listening to the beautiful music being produced by two of her favorite people. Every so often she would surreptitiously glance at the blonde girl sitting next to her although from the look of undiluted hunger on Sei's face she could probably have been sitting in her lap and staring into those grey eyes without the other girl noticing. There was more life in those eyes than Youko had seen in a long time. Just as Yumi's playing was affecting Sachiko, it was also seeming to have an effect on her best friend.

_Admit it, dummy, you love her_, Youko scolded herself. _You'd do anything for Sei if it would just get her to care a little more about her life. She's better than she was last semester, and Yumi's arrival has done wonders for her, but it's still not enough. Shiori really did a number on you. I'd love to hate her for it, but I know it's not really her fault. We tried to warn you. You just wouldn't listen, you stupid mule. What's it going to take to get you to start really living again?_

Sei cared, but only about others. When it came to herself she just didn't seem to have the strength. But seeing that hunger in her eyes as she listened to Yumi and Sachiko was definitely a step forward. The blonde could obviously feel the emotions that Yumi, more so than Sachiko, was spreading to all of her friends. Even though some of the songs themselves weren't necessarily upbeat the young girl was able to imbue them with a kind of strength and courage that was contagious. Rei and Yoshino were sitting in one of the chairs, Yoshino on her older cousin's lap, Rei's arms around the younger girl's waist, and you could almost see them melting into each other; becoming one.

Shimako, their little miko, was completely enraptured. She was perched on the very edge of her seat, leaning forward and drinking up every note and flourish. At that moment she could easily have been the glowing, Earthly embodiment of the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. Youko had never seen her looking more powerful. And Eriko was wearing the subtle smirk she wore when she'd found a delightful puzzle that she wanted to unravel. The black-haired third-year could see the wheels and cogs turning double-time in that overly efficient brain.

And then there was Sachiko. Youko had once overheard Yumi mumble something about 'her Dark Princess,' but if anything the girl standing before her, violin tucked under her chin, looked more like a queen. Out of all of them, Sachiko was the one drinking up most of that strength and courage that Yumi was doling out, not that there wasn't enough to go around. The pigtailed artist truly was an enigma.

_I wonder if we've been wrong about her all along_, she thought to herself as she sat back to enjoy the show, slipping an arm around Sei's waist to pull her a bit closer. Twinkling grey eyes briefly glanced at her and pink lips grinned as she mirrored Youko's move, her long arm weaving its way around Youko's waist, long fingers gently pressing circles against her side. There was nothing sexual about it, only comfort, so Youko laid her head against the taller girl's shoulder and gave out a warm sigh of happiness.

"They're good," Sei murmured softly, tilting her head so that the two touched.

"She's better than good," Youko smiled. _And I'll accept everything she's willing to offer, especially if it brings you to my side._

-oo-

"That went better than I expected," Yumi giggled to herself as she lay in her bed later that night. The impromptu concert had been an astounding success. Her two main patients seemed to lap up their medicine with aplomb. Both Sachiko and Sei had been much more animated as everyone enjoyed Rei's brownies. In fact, all the girls had been nearly glowing with unlooked for vitality. Yumi had been her normal, quiet self, but more from wanting to simply sit there quietly and enjoy the friendship than any feeling of timidity. She was certainly feeling much more comfortable around her fellow residents, and that made all the difference.

Of course, she'd continued to play the little church mouse role she'd accepted when she decided on her mission, but that was all to the good. Whatever it took, she'd do. It was just too important. She knew Yuuki would call her crazy, and her parents would have an absolute fit if they even imagined her doing what she was contemplating, but some things just had to be done. If she could have some lasting effect on this world, wasn't making two lives significantly better sufficient? Yumi knew she was no saint, but she'd come to love these girls so much in so little time, wasn't this exactly what she'd been looking for? Isn't this what she'd fought so hard and long for? To make a real difference?

"Okasan, Otousan, I'm sorry, I love you so much, but I've got to do this," she whispered into the darkness. Turning over she looked to where her portrait of Sachiko was nearing completion. A few more days, no more than a week until she'd be able to unveil it and, hopefully, turn a pawn into a queen. A grin stole across her lips at the thought. "Soon, my Dark Princess. Soon you will be crowned. Soon you will be free."


End file.
